


Fake it till we make it!

by BlackthornPyre4UrEnemies



Series: Fake it! - The Series [1]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: "And she likes me as a friend too.", "I like her as a friend.", Adventure, Elsamaren Summer 2020 (Disney), Eventual Romance, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Mild Angst, Mutual Pining, Stop lying to yourself the both of you, Yes I am doing the fake relationship trope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:48:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25082623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackthornPyre4UrEnemies/pseuds/BlackthornPyre4UrEnemies
Summary: In Northuldra culture, it is customary to be partnered up by the age of twenty-five. But with the mist just lifted, the last thing on Honeymaren’s mind is settling down.Elsa has travelled north to understand the magic of the spirits and Ahtohallan. Her absence makes her the ideal girlfriend Honeymaren can pretend to have so her people would quit bugging her about her love life.What happens when Elsa returns home early before Honeymaren could fake their breakup?Written for Elsamaren Summer 2020: 9 prompts for 9 days! Special thanks to the organisers for this wonderful event 😊I have combined the prompts into a continuous fic, so it will be one prompt per chapter! Hopefully updated on schedule, which will be daily!COMPLETE.A NOTE ON THE RATING: Rated M for sexual themes, and mention of "drug" use (a fictional, magical, nonharmful, nonaddictive hallucinogenic tea). Day 8 and 9 will be smut and will be posted as a sequel to this fic.
Relationships: Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney)
Series: Fake it! - The Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1889680
Comments: 149
Kudos: 199
Collections: Elsamaren Summer 2020





	1. Prompt 1: Culture and Heritage

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction in a fantasy world. I am interpreting Northuldra and Arendelle for what they are - fictional societies, and have invented some culture and traditions for them. Please do NOT regard this work as a reference for or authority on any real and existing culture. Thank you!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is in Honeymaren's POV.

_Present Day_

“He’s coming, he’s coming! The flowers, Mare!”

“I know! Will you just relax?”

“I can’t! Trust me, when it’s your turn…”

Honeymaren Nattura grabbed a fistful of flowers and tossed it at her twin brother.

 _Don’t remind me!_ She wanted to say.

She was happy for him, really, but she didn’t like the idea that they had to do this now. Or that they had to do this at all.

For the Northuldra, it was customary to be partnered up by the age of twenty-five. And the twin’s milestone quarter century birthday had just passed this autumn and the pressure was on.

Alfie emerged from the trees, looking for his boyfriend.

“Ryder, there you are! I’ve been looking - ”

Ryder scrambled up to stand on the back of his reindeer. The feat was quite impressive. But Ryder had a natural command over his reindeers and could get this one to stay still.

“Now!” Ryder shouted.

On cue, Honeymaren swung her basket towards him, launching all the flowers out of the basket, allowing them to rain down on her brother.

“Alfie Aspen,” Ryder proclaimed, throwing his arms out wide, “will you marry me?”

\- 

Honeymaren was curled up in a tree, humming along to the singing and merry cries coming from a short distance away in the main camp, where the rest of the Northuldra were celebrating with the newly-engaged couple.

She was glad her brother found happiness. She wished she could do what was expected of her - Find someone. Get married. Settle down. Build a tent together. Raise some reindeers. Or kids. Sing them dark lullabies. Live and die happily ever after in the Enchanted Forest.

It was the Northuldra way for generations.

But Honeymaren felt there was still so much to do. The mist had only just lifted and there was a whole world to explore out there. She couldn’t settle down now.

Probably the only one who would understand was Elsa. Elsa grew up with more expectations piled on her than Honeymaren could ever fathom. But now Elsa had found her freedom and was living her life exactly the way she wanted to.

It was strange to feel simultaneously melancholic about her own fate and ecstatic for her brother’s, but she knew Elsa would know exactly what to say to make her feel better.

 _Spirits_ , how she missed her friend! Elsa had travelled north to find some answers about the spirits and the nature of Ahtohallan’s magic, and it would be another month before she returned. Honeymaren wished she had gone with Elsa. But there were reindeers to herd and a winter to survive. Maybe if Elsa were to go on an adventure in the coming spring Honeymaren could tag along and –

“Thinking about your girlfriend?” Ryder called from the foot of the tree, jerking her out of her thoughts.

_Girlfriend._

Right. She really shouldn’t be dreaming about springtime travels when there was a more _immediate_ problem to solve.

It started as an accident, really. An offhand comment to get her prying friends and family off her back that only kept escalating….

* * *

_Two months ago_

The wine was really getting to her. Honeymaren didn’t usually indulge, but it was her birthday. A pretty big one too. She was now old enough to head her own family, even travel away and start her own settlement somewhere else in the forest if she wanted to. It was a big deal. And because there were two Northuldrans celebrating their twenty-fifths everyone was taking the opportunity to organise something lavish.

Yelana settled beside a tipsy Honeymaren and together they watched Alfie and Ryder snuggle together by the campfire.

“So, you’re twenty-five,” Yelana began, her tone more accusatory than congratulatory, “thinking of settling down?”

“Yelana *hic* please. Not you too. *hic*. That’s all anyone wants to talk about tonight.”

Alfie burped in Ryder’s face and Ryder sniggered, before pulling him in for a kiss. Honeymaren wanted to barf.

“Seriously, no one catches your fancy?” Yelana probed again.

Honeymaren was in the mood to tease. She took another swig of wine (she really shouldn’t), before saying, “maybe…”

“Oh? Care to elaborate?”

Honeymaren felt her stomach churn even more, this time likely from the wine and not from her brother’s antics. She got up, walking unsteadily away.

“Where’s the fun in telling people everything?”

_Where was she going with this? She had nothing to tell anyone._

It was just easier to pretend that there was something. So people would just. quit. asking.

“Okay, fine, keep your secrets. Just know the Northuldra look up to you, Honeymaren. Especially with the mist lifted, it’s more important than ever that we keep our culture and traditions.”

_Ah, Yelana. Always the life of the party._

Honeymaren rolled her eyes and staggered away to throw up.

-

Her friends and brother were next.

“Leif is looking almost handsome tonight.”

“Leif?” Honeymaren quirked an eyebrow, “ugh. It’s just a moonless night. Everything’s darker so you can’t see clearly.”

“What about Johann?”

“What about him?” Honeymaren turned to her other friend.

“He hasn’t stopped looking at you.”

“Because I’m wearing the birthday crown.”

“Erik?”

“He’s more likely to go for _you_ , Ryder, if you know what I mean.”

“Just ask one of them to sing with you, Maren! It’s your birthday!”

_Is this nightmare ever going to end?_

“I can’t, okay?” Honeymaren snapped.

“Why not?”

_Because I don’t want to._

But instead, her drunkenness made her say -

“Because… I’m… already seeing someone.”

Very evidently the wrong thing to say, as the inquisition only became worse.

“OOH!”

“Who?”

“SPIRITS, MAREN! How could you keep this from us?”

“You _must_ spill the details now!”

_Great. What now?_

“Uhh… She’s not here,” Honeymaren finally settled on saying.

_Oh, guess it’s a ‘she’, then. Huh._

Honeymaren did not know that about herself. But her friends didn’t bat an eyelid about this sudden revelation.

“But who is ever not here?” they said instead.

“We Northuldra never leave the forest.”

“And everyone’s currently at your birthday celebration.”

Her friends looked at each other, trying to figure out who among them was Honeymaren’s girlfriend.

Ryder gasped, realisation spreading across his widening eyes.

“Elsa! Elsa isn’t here!”

_Shit. Elsa isn’t here! How could she forget?_

_Welp. Guess Elsa’s her girlfriend now._

_Actually, come to think of it, she could work with that…._

Elsa would be gone for another three months, and in that time they could get together and break up in imaginary correspondence before Elsa even returned. At least, that was what Honeymaren was going to tell the others. Elsa wouldn’t need to know a thing. And in three months, the hype would die down and someone else would turn twenty-five and they would probably stop bugging her.

_Yes, this could work…_

“Aww… look at her, she’s gone off inside her own head at the mere mention of Elsa!” Ryder’s voice brought her back to reality.

“HONEYMAREN IS IN LOOOVE!”

“The Fifth Spirit? Woah, Maren, you’re… that’s… okay, wow, that’s impressive _._ ”

“Elsa and Honeymaren! It has a nice ring to it.”

“I thought you girls were just friends?”

“Are you really that blind? Of course they were in love. I knew the whole time.”

“Elsa and Honeymaren! This could work as a chant.”

“Yeah? So why didn’t you say anything?”

“Elsa and Honeymaren! Elsa and Honeymaren! Elsa and Honeymaren!”

Her friends were cheering and squealing at one another and almost ignoring Honeymaren by now in their excitement.

Maybe she didn’t even have to say anything for this to work.

* * *

_Present Day_

She should have said something.

Two months had passed, and the lies had only gotten more elaborate. From how many dates they had gone on to whether Honeymaren was friendly with the rest of the spirits, it was getting a little hard to keep up with all the tales Honeymaren had to fabricate. At one point one of the families thought they were so serious about each other that they brought her an orphaned reindeer and asked if she wanted to raise it with Elsa. That was a difficult one to sidestep.

If she was going to get away with this before Elsa returned she was going to need to start engineering some sort of relationship-ending conflict in the coming weeks. Now, what could that be? It mustn’t be too horrible, because for Elsa not to find out they’d have to remain friends, but it had to be horrible enough so that no one would bring it up with Elsa…

A twig whacked her on the head.

“Ow!” she shouted, looking down from her tree to see who had threw the twig at her.

“Hello???” Ryder called, still standing at the foot of the tree, “where did you drift off to again?”

Honeymaren rubbed her head.

“What do you want, Ry? Don’t you have a party to be at?”

“I do, but someone’s just arrived. I believe you’ll be really happy to see her…”

Honeymaren hopped down from her tree, wondering who it could be. She wasn’t expecting anyone. Beyond Anna and Kristoff who were busy with ruling their kingdom she didn’t have any friends outside the forest.

“She said you didn’t know she was returning tonight,” Ryder grinned, “I imagine she must have missed you and decided to come back early. Long-distance is hard, after all.”

_Shit!!!_

Honeymaren’s stomach flipped when she realised who was home and raced to camp in a panic, leaving a stunned Ryder in her wake.

“Elsa!” Honeymaren exclaimed, as she burst through into the forest clearing where the Northuldra were gathered.

She rested her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath as she assessed the situation. Elsa was sitting with the elders, likely updating Yelana on her travels.

Good. The elders were the least likely to have revealed anything to her. Already, Honeymaren could see her friends from the corner of her eye, and they were all looking back and forth between Elsa and Honeymaren, trying to gauge how legitimate this “relationship” between the two women was.

Elsa looked up from her conversation at her name being called, and Honeymaren swore she didn’t imagine the look of excitement and joy on Elsa’s face upon seeing Honeymaren.

Elsa said something to Yelana, ending the conversation, before getting up and heading straight towards Honeymaren, her smile growing wider. Elsa held out her arms to Honeymaren and Honeymaren instinctively ran into them, pulling Elsa tightly into a hug.

Girlfriend or not, she was glad Elsa was home early. She really missed her.

They had barely broken apart when Ryder launched himself at them, pulling the both of them into another hug.

“THIS. IS. AWESOME!” he cheered, squeezing the two of them together, “I’m so happy for my baby sister!”

“Ew, baby sister? What? Ry I am minutes younger than you!”

Honeymaren tried to extricate herself from her brother’s embrace.

“Ryder, stop being a third wheel!” Alfie called from the sidelines.

“Third… wheel?” Elsa repeated, pausing in the midst of returning Ryder’s hug, finally catching on that something was amiss.

“Elsa, can I talk to you?” Honeymaren hurriedly asked.

Before Elsa could respond, Yelana walked over, grasping Elsa’s hand in one of hers, and Honeymaren’s hand in the other.

“Elsa and Honeymaren,” she announced, as she beamed proudly at them both, “a perfect union connecting the Northuldra with the Spirits.”

“What…?” Elsa began, looking more confused than ever.

But Elsa was rendered speechless when Yelana brought their hands together. Elsa blushed at the contact and stared at Honeymaren with wide eyes. Honeymaren couldn’t help it, she reflexively grasped Elsa’s hand in hers, feeling a little bit of Elsa’s magic tingle against her palm. It was a glorious sensation.

“Come!”

Yelana beckoned them towards the campfire.

“We want to know everything!”

Elsa was still looking at their joined hands.

“Honeymaren, what is going on?” Elsa whispered in a low voice when Yelana walked out of earshot.

Honeymaren was freaking out. But she forced herself to maintain her cool. _Okay, they could do this. Elsa was her friend, she would help her out._

“Remember when you said you owe me one for missing my birthday?” Honeymaren tried, “well, I’m calling in that favour now. Please, just follow my lead. I’ll explain everything later.”

Forcing a grin on her face, Honeymaren gripped Elsa’s hand reassuringly in hers as she led her back to the fireside, where many more Northuldra had gathered. Tales of Honeymaren’s exploits with the Fifth Spirit had travelled far and wide, after all. People were curious.

Honeymaren didn’t let go of Elsa’s hand as she began to tell the story of how they “got together”. Mainly, she was trying to maintain some sort of continuity in the complex web of lies she had been spinning for the past few months.

At the same time, she was trying to clue Elsa in to what was happening and why she needed Elsa’s help to play along. She started with talking about her birthday and Northuldra culture, pretending that while she knew what was expected of a twenty-five year-old Northuldran, she had promised Elsa to keep their relationship a secret, until the incessant prying of the others while she was drunk led her to spill the beans. Something appeared to click in Elsa’s head and she understood why Honeymaren did what she did. _Bless her,_ Honeymaren thought. She never doubted Elsa’s brilliance.

But because Honeymaren knew Elsa rather well at this point, she could also sense Elsa’s confusion – In how she squeezed Honeymaren’s hand in surprise upon finding out how far Honeymaren had taken the lie, and how her left brow quirked in scepticism when Honeymaren claimed that she was the one to ask Elsa out first, and how she bit her lower lip as though holding back a retort when the others speculated that Honeymaren was the more romantic of the two. But Elsa, ever the consummate Ice Queen, kept her true feelings effortlessly hidden, to all except Honeymaren, and played her part accordingly. Honeymaren felt immensely grateful to have such a loyal friend in Elsa.

“Elsa did you miss her?” one of the teenage girls asked, her eyes staring at the both of them in envy and admiration, “Is that why you’ve come home early? Because you couldn’t spend another minute apart?”

Elsa turned to Honeymaren, a mischievous smirk dancing on her lips. This was the first time she had been asked to provide an input, as Honeymaren had been talking the rest of the time.

Honeymaren gulped. Would Elsa cooperate?

“Oh absolutely,” Elsa answered, her voice teasing, “How could I keep away from this?”

And with that, Elsa leaned in towards Honeymaren.

“This is a very bold favour to call in, Honeymaren…” she whispered softly, breath deliciously frosty against her, “Happy belated twenty-fifth.”

And then Elsa kissed Honeymaren on the cheek.

At the feel of Elsa’s cool lips ghosting across her skin, Honeymaren wondered if Bruni had crawled inside her ear and fried her brain.


	2. Prompt 2: Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Love… Wait What?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feeling a little nostalgic for the mutual pining in the Elsamaren Logs. Therefore, like the logs, POVs will alternate between Honeymaren and Elsa every chapter. This chapter is in Elsa's POV.

_Air_

Elsa watched her friend from the corner of her eye. Honeymaren was squatting by the riverbank, prodding some algae with her staff. It was a little distracting, but she was glad for the company after months of solitude exploring the glaciers surrounding Ahtohallan.

They hadn’t had any time alone to address what transpired at the campfire last night after she returned, and Elsa wondered if Honeymaren had tagged along on her morning stroll so they could talk.

Or maybe Honeymaren didn’t want to bring it up at all, but had no choice but to follow Elsa out of camp this morning, when the rest of the Northuldra had looked to Honeymaren when Elsa announced she was heading out for the day, expecting Honeymaren to follow.

She could tell Honeymaren was embarrassed about the predicament she had put them in, so Elsa gave Honeymaren her space. From what she gathered, Honeymaren was very bothered by the pressure placed on her to partner up when she hit twenty-five, which led her to lie to protect herself, and Elsa understood that. Elsa knew a thing or two about unwanted responsibilities. And it wasn’t like she was planning to get into a relationship anyway, so what was the issue in faking being in one if it was to help a dear friend?

“So what are you doing?” Honeymaren asked, avoiding the topic of the fake relationship entirely.

“Waiting for Gale.”

Elsa closed her eyes, reaching within to draw from the source of her magic. She lowered her defences and let herself _feel_ , and then she waited for a reply. But then-

“Why are you looking for her?”

Honeymaren’s question pulled her back to reality.

“I’ve just returned. I should get back in touch with the spirits,” Elsa replied patiently.

“Oh, okay.”

Honeymaren let her be, although Elsa, despite her eyes being closed, could feel that Honeymaren’s gaze had remained on her.

Finally, a similar magic called back, before a gust of wind danced around her, lifting her hair up playfully.

Elsa smiled. It seemed like she was getting faster at summoning the spirits.

“Woah!” Honeymaren exclaimed, as Gale turned to her, lifting her skirt up, “Come on now! Don’t do that!”

Honeymaren dropped her staff, using both her hands to push her skirt down.

“Good morning, Gale,” Elsa greeted, chuckling at the sight, “have you been good while I was gone?”

Gale ignored Elsa, continuing to push and prod at Honeymaren. Honeymaren tried illogically to swat her away and in retaliation, Gale blew Honeymaren’s hat off her head.

“HEY!” Honeymaren exclaimed, as she hopped forwards to try and grab her hat back.

Gale delivered the hat right to Elsa and Elsa caught it with ease. But because Honeymaren had given chase to her hat, Honeymaren collided right into Elsa.

“Argh!” Honeymaren exclaimed.

She hurriedly tried to push herself off Elsa. In her haste, Honeymaren slipped, falling towards the river. Fortunately, Elsa was quick, and she wrapped an arm around Honeymaren’s waist, catching her before she fell into the water below.

Their eyes met.

Elsa could feel her cheeks burn at the intensity and warmth she found in the brown eyes staring back at her. The skin of her forearm tingled where it was pressed up against Honeymaren’s back.

“Hey,” Honeymaren whispered, breathless.

Elsa’s heart was hammering. This pounding in her chest was an entirely new sensation and it caused panic to surge through her. She let go of Honeymaren.

Honeymaren’s eyes widened as she felt herself fall, and she flailed her arms about in vain.

“ELSA!”

There was a loud splash as Elsa dropped Honeymaren into the river below.

* * *

_Water_

The last time Elsa had summoned the Nokk so quickly, Arendelle was on the verge of falling. But as she saw the current of the river surge and push her friend further downstream, her magic flowed freely and she could feel Nokk respond to her immediately.

In a flash he had materialised before her and she clambered on.

“Elsa!” Honeymaren gasped as she came up for air, before the water pushed her down again.

Nokk galloped down the river, dipping his neck down when they reached Honeymaren. Honeymaren reached for his neck, trying to grab hold, but her hands slipped right through him.

“Dammit!” Elsa swore.

Pressing her palms against his back, Elsa froze the Nokk, and Honeymaren grappled at the now solid neck, this time successfully gaining purchase. The Nokk swung his neck up, pulling Honeymaren out of the water. He launched himself up, balancing only on his hind legs, and Honeymaren slid down his neck to land in Elsa’s arms.

“I got you!” Elsa exclaimed, pulling Honeymaren against her.

The Nokk delivered them back to land, before disintegrating and slipping back into the river. Elsa managed to stand up gracefully as he disappeared below her. But Honeymaren, who was still in a state of shock, landed with a loud thud as her butt hit solid ground.

Elsa looked Honeymaren up and down, and after determining that she was okay, allowed herself to laugh.

“What the hell, Elsa?!” Honeymaren complained, as she began to wring water out of her braid.

“Oh Honeymaren, it appears Gale and the Nokk aren’t very happy with you. I wonder why?”

“They are unhappy, or you? You are the one who dropped me!”

Elsa shook her head, still chuckling.

“Why would you think I’m unhappy with you?”

Honeymaren’s cheeks reddened and she looked away.

“You know why.”

Elsa sighed.

She whistled and held out her hand. Before long, something came scurrying towards her and she felt the familiar sizzle of heat meeting frost as Bruni hopped into her palm.

“Come,” she said to Honeymaren, “let’s get you warmed up by a fire. And then we should probably talk.”

* * *

_Fire_

Honeymaren’s coat was dry now, as Elsa had froze the water in the cloth and extracted it out. She was now warming her hands by a small fire that Bruni had started.

Elsa didn’t want to make Honeymaren uncomfortable, but she had to clear up a few things. She decided to start with a joke.

“I assume since you’ve asked me to do this, I don’t owe you a birthday present anymore?” Elsa asked.

“What?” Honeymaren looked disappointed, but she tried to hide it, “Fine. But you should know, I’ve got you something really good for your birthday, so you’re only embarrassing yourself if you don’t take the opportunity now to give me my present before I give you yours.”

Elsa looked at Honeymaren in surprise.

“You know my birthday?”

“Of course,” Honeymaren replied, like it was the most natural thing in the world, “just like how you know mine. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Elsa said nothing. It was more complicated than that. She never talked about her birthday out of habit, because when she was queen, she had decreed to have it celebrated together with Christmas so as not to distract her subjects from their Christmas festivities. She had become so used to not celebrating her birthday that she could not recall when she had revealed the date to Honeymaren.

Her heart fluttered at the thought of Honeymaren going out of her way to find out.

She wondered if Honeymaren did that for all her friends, or just her. And then she wondered if she _wanted_ Honeymaren to have done that just for her. She quickly stopped her train of thought at that.

A beat of silence had passed before Honeymaren cleared her throat.

“Anyway, Elsa, look,” she began, straightening her shoulders as she gathered her courage to explain herself, “about this whole pretending to be in a relationship thing… I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable. If you don’t want to drag this on anymore or if you prefer I come clean to the tribe, I’ll do it.”

Elsa smiled at Honeymaren.

“It’s okay. I understand why you did it. For most of my adult life I have been pressured by advisors, both my own and those from other kingdoms, to marry. So, I get it.”

“But I figure you left that life to avoid this very pressure?”

“Yes and no. I came here to do what I want. And what I want is to help my friend out.”

Honeymaren heaved a sigh of relief, looking very grateful. But as she looked at the magical flame burning in front of her, her expression turned concerned again.

“But the spirits. What about Gale? And the Nokk?”

“What about them?”

“Well, the spirits reflect how you feel, don’t they?”

“So?”

“Well, Nokk threw me off his back.”

Elsa rolled her eyes.

“No he didn’t, he saved you. Because I wanted to save you.”

“What about Gale? She stole my hat and caused me to fall into the river.”

“No, Gale brought you closer to me, which means I wanted -”

Elsa faltered as a thought hit her.

_Why did Gale push Honeymaren towards her? What was that feeling in her chest when she was holding Honeymaren so tightly to stop her from falling?_

Elsa shook her head to clear her mind. It probably meant nothing. After all, Elsa reminded herself, Gale also tried to lift Honeymaren’s skirt.

“Gale is a playful spirit,” Elsa settled on explaining, “she does things like this all the time.”

Honeymaren didn’t look convinced.

“Why the guilt all of a sudden, Honeymaren?” Elsa asked, tone turning playful again.

She wanted to hide her embarrassment from suggesting Gale did her bidding to push Honeymaren towards her, “you didn’t seem to have a problem telling all those fantastic stories about us while I was away.”

Honeymaren looked sheepish again.

“It’s just that…” Honeymaren sighed, “you know while you were gone, many people cried the moment I said we were together? I think I may have caused you to break several hearts unknowingly.”

Elsa chuckled at that, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Maybe they were upset _you_ were no longer available.”

“Me? Hardly. Anyway, that’s not the point. I just don’t want to ruin your chances at love. I feel guilty because now that you’re back, it’s occurring to me that I never considered how this might complicate your life. And that’s really selfish of me. So if you were planning to be, you know, available so you can go after someone else, we really should call this off and -”

“Honeymaren,” Elsa interrupted, “is there someone _you_ are interested in?”

“What? No!” Honeymaren answered a little too quickly, “No one at all.”

“Me too,” Elsa assured her.

“Oh?” Honeymaren looked a little disappointed to hear that.

Elsa couldn’t figure out why.

“Okay,” Honeymaren finally agreed, “I guess if you’re really fine with this… I would be very grateful.”

“On three conditions.”

“Yeah?”

“First, we call this off the moment you think you might have a chance at true love.”

Honeymaren rolled her eyes.

“Never going to happen, Elsa. So yes, done. The second condition?”

“Whatever happens in the Enchanted Forest, stays in the Enchanted Forest. Anna and Kristoff must not know about this. I don’t want my sister to get hurt.”

“Agreed. Lastly?”

Elsa smiled, feeling mischievous again.

“Third, when this ends, we tell everyone _I_ broke up with _you_. After all the ridiculous stories you told yesterday to make you look better, you owe me this.”

Honeymaren laughed.

“You’re so petty. But fine. Deal.”

Elsa joined Honeymaren in laughter, offering a hand to Honeymaren to shake.

Before she could, however, the ground rumbled. Elsa stood up in surprise, extending her magic out to assess the situation. She felt the Earth Giants stirring. It could only mean one thing. Only one other person had such a connection to the giants to be able to wake them up.

Anna was here.

* * *

_Earth_

“YOU’RE IN A RELATIONSHIP?!” Anna rounded on Elsa the moment Elsa and Honeymaren returned to camp.

 _Drats_ , they had hurried back, but already it was too late to hide this from her.

“AND WITH HONEYMAREN!!” Anna squealed.

“Anna, before you jump to any conclusions…” Elsa began.

“Oh don’t look so guilty, Elsa! I admit I’m a little hurt to be finding out from someone other than you but it doesn’t compare to how happy I am!”

Anna danced up and down, before pulling Elsa and Honeymaren in for a hug, much the same way Ryder did last night. Honeymaren looked immensely uncomfortable, repeatedly glancing at Elsa, knowing they had just violated condition two of their agreement.

“Actually, Anna,” Honeymaren began, when Anna let them go, “I’ve got something to confess…”

“Oh you don’t have to confess anything, Honeymaren! I know you have had a thing for my sister for forever now!”

_Wait, what?_

“And you know what, Elsa has had a thing for you too!”

 _WAIT, WHAT? Now that’s just not true!_ Anna always had a wild imagination when it came to romance.

“Anna…”

“Oh hush, Elsa, you know you’re really _obvious._ I honestly saw this coming _eons_ ago. In fact, Kristoff owes me a box of chocolates now.”

“You bet on me getting into a relationship?”

“Yes, and specifically, with Honeymaren!”

“How…?”

“I know you, Elsa!” Anna rolled her eyes, “You’re my sister!”

Elsa was flabbergasted. She opened her mouth and closed it again when no words came out.

_Did Anna not know her at all? There was never anything between her and Honeymaren!_

“Anna,” Honeymaren stepped in, wanting to keep her promise to Elsa and come clean.

“I’m just so happy!” Anna said, clasping her hands together at her chest as she blinked back tears, “so happy for the both of you. And also, for my box of chocolates!”

“Anna-“ Honeymaren tried again.

“Anna, just don’t make a big deal out of this, okay?” Elsa cut Honeymaren off after one look at Anna’s face, “everything’s still really new between us.”

Suddenly she did not want Honeymaren to tell Anna the truth. She could never disappoint her sister.

Honeymaren’s widened her eyes in surprise at Elsa, before she bit her lower lip to hold back a laugh. Elsa stared back her, annoyed at her amusement.

“Of course, of course!” Anna sighed happily.

“Anyway, I’m here because I got your letter saying you were coming home early,” she prattled on, “I wanted to invite you to the Winter Festival in Arendelle. I know, I know, you said you didn’t want to attend because you wanted this year’s to be the one where the people remembered me as the queen. But come on, Elsa! What’s a winter celebration without the Snow Queen!”

“I don’t know, Anna… Remember last year when I dropped by? It was months since I left and people were still calling me Queen Elsa…”

“So? Once a queen, always a queen. Really, sis, I don’t mind! I’m queen the other eleven months of the year. And I don’t want to spend Christmas, and _your birthday,_ without you!”

Elsa was still reluctant. She hated whenever the kingdom ignored her sister the moment she showed up.

“You can bring Honeymaren!” Anna gave up on Elsa and turned her attention to her next target, “Oh, Honeymaren, you are going to LOVE the winter festival! I know you’ve visited Arendelle before, but the town is so different this time of year! You must come!”

Honeymaren looked to Elsa, uncertain.

“Uh… I think Elsa should decide…”

“What? No!” Anna shook her head, “Now that you’re the girlfriend you should just force her to bring you, Honeymaren! Don’t you want to see a giant cookie in the wavy shape of Norway? We have a family that bakes that every year. And then there’s this set of kittens dressed in jammies… Not to mention the barrels of muletide, the carol singers, and if Elsa’s in the mood, she’ll build a christmas tree out of ice…”

Elsa saw Honeymaren’s eyes light up with each word Anna was saying, although she tried to hide it. And Elsa knew then that Honeymaren would love the new experience, since she always wanted to see the world outside.

Elsa sighed.

“Fine, Anna, we’ll go.”

Anna squealed once more, jumping up and down. The ground rumbled beneath them as the Earth Giants responded to her glee.

“You see, the Earth Giants approve,” Anna folded her arms triumphantly.

Elsa pushed back with her magic defiantly and felt them settle.

But with a sigh, Elsa realised now the lie about their relationship had spread from the Enchanted Forest to Arendelle. Things were only going to get bigger and messier from now on, much to Elsa’s dismay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playing fast and loose with the definition of "Earth" with this prompt. But Elsa never had much of a connection with the Earth Giants, so I’ve interpreted “Earth” to mean “Anna” to Elsa.


	3. Prompt 3: "Are you the one I've been looking for all of my life?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated MATURE for nudity.  
> I have officially become an author of crack fanfiction.  
> There is a sauna scene in this one! It is an unplanned addition, courtesy of MLauren's comment on chapter 2.  
> Lastly, the reindeer in the first scene of this chapter is the one Honeymaren rides at the end of Frozen 2 that looks like it is shipping Elsamaren.  
> Cheers!

“Are you ready?” Honeymaren asked, holding out her hand to Elsa, who was hesitant to take it.

“I don’t trust this one.”

“What are you talking about? Kit’s been my reindeer since I was a girl.”

“He’s smirking at me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Elsa.”

Elsa eyed the reindeer with suspicion.

“Come on, unless you want to arrive in Arendelle on the Nokk? What happened to wanting to keep a low profile?”

“Fine,” Elsa sighed, finally taking Honeymaren’s hand.

Honeymaren helped her up onto the reindeer and waited as Elsa settled herself behind her. Kit startled at the extra weight and grunted, stomping his hooves.

“Aargh!”

Elsa nearly slipped off at the sudden movement and shot a bolt of ice in the opposite direction to steady herself.

“You okay back there?”

“He hates me,” Elsa complained.

Ryder caught the commotion and joined them, eyes alight with mirth.

“Elsa, you got to hold on to Honeymaren if you don’t want to fall off. Kit’s pretty fast.”

Elsa placed her hand on Honeymaren’s shoulders.

“Why are you so afraid to touch your girlfriend? Grab her by the waist, Elsa!”

Honeymaren felt Elsa’s hands grip her shoulders tighter at that, not wanting to move. While she could not see it, she could practically feel the heat of Elsa’s blush radiating off her.

“Ryder, get lost,” Honeymaren growled.

Ryder chuckled.

“Ah, young love. What would I give to be all shy and newly in love again?”

He shook his head at the both of them, before walking away.

“Sorry about him,” Honeymaren mumbled after he left.

“It’s fine,” Elsa replied, fingers clenching and unclenching over Honeymaren’s shoulders, “We’re supposed to be a couple after all, aren’t we?”

“Also, he has a point,” Honeymaren hated that her voice was all breathless and scratchy, but Elsa was just _so close_ , “you… uh… you should really hold on tight.”

“Right,” Elsa whispered back.

She hesitated for a brief moment more, before sliding her hands down Honeymaren’s back, and then slowly wrapping her arms around Honeymaren’s waist. Honeymaren’s breath caught at the sight of Elsa’s fingers lacing themselves together over her stomach. It was over layers of wool and leather, but the touch was so intimate she almost wanted to suck her tummy in so she could avoid further contact with those burning fingers.

She turned around to look at Elsa, unable to keep a small smile from creeping onto her face. She was sure she looked a little drunk. But Elsa was looking back at her with what must be the same shy smile she had on her face, and Honeymaren could not look away.

Honeymaren wasn’t sure how long they were staring at each other, but judging by what happened next, it was a tad too long for Yelana.

“Okay lovebirds, stop making eyes at each other and get out of here!” Yelana barked as she marched over, slapping Kit on the butt.

Kit shot off.

Elsa yelped, flinging herself fully at Honeymaren, arms wrapping tight around Honeymaren’s torso as she clung on for dear life. Honeymaren didn’t register that Elsa was pressed up against her until she’d gotten Kit back under control, and when she did she almost couldn’t breathe, because with every breath she took she could feel her back pressing into Elsa’s chest.

 _Spirits,_ at this rate, with Kit part-trotting and part-sprinting, and Elsa gasping and clinging tighter to her with every change in pace, the ride to Arendelle was going to feel unbearably long. And yet, Honeymaren didn’t want it to end.

-

They made it to the Kingdom unnoticed and slipped into the castle by the side gate.

Elsa stumbled down from Kit, walking unsteadily towards her sister.

“So, you look frazzled,” Anna observed, looking highly amused.

“Just be glad your husband’s reindeer has a sled,” Elsa grumbled, trying to soothe her thighs discreetly.

“Please, I’ve ridden directly on Sven countless times. You’re just a spoiled princess because you have the Nokk. I’ve ridden him with you, and that water spirit is one smooth ride.”

“Maybe it isn’t the steed but the skill of the rider,” Elsa replied, turning to Honeymaren and giving her a wink.

“Hey!” Honeymaren exclaimed, picking up on the jibe at her.

Anna and Elsa laughed, before swinging an arm around each other as they headed off to the town square.

Honeymaren turned to Kit, ruffling his fur as she whispered in his ear, “Don’t listen to them, Kit. We rode perfectly today and you’ll always be my favourite. That Nokk’s overrated. He’s a slippery fellow.”

Kristoff caught her talking to her reindeer and laughed.

“So after all those times Elsa gives me shit for talking to Sven she goes off and dates someone like you? Man, she’s not getting away with this!”

Kristoff chuckled some more, before heading for the sisters.

“Oh, Elsa!” he called, his tone victorious and teasing.

 _So Elsa doesn’t like a girl who talks to reindeers?_ Honeymaren thought to herself. _Got to stop doing that then._

 _Huh?_ She caught herself before her thoughts strayed further. _Why was she thinking about changing herself to impress Elsa?_

-

They were now making their way through the makeshift stalls in town, Elsa looking around her nervously as she secured her hood over her head.

“Uh what are you doing?” Honeymaren asked.

“I’m trying to keep a low profile remember?”

Honeymaren eyed the cloak that Elsa had on. It was a rich navy blue, with elaborate bright white threads adorning the long train. Some of the decorations even shimmered.

_She’s so dramatic. Did she really think she was being subtle?_

“I think everybody knows you’re here, Elsa,” Honeymaren pointed out, “you’re walking through town with the queen.”

“I could be one of the queen’s visiting dignitaries…”

“Your coat is covered in magical ice.”

“ELSA!” Anna shouted from ahead, oblivious to Elsa’s attempt to be _in cognito_.

Elsa groaned as heads turned towards them. Doing her best to ignore the stares, she lowered her hood, bracing herself for the gasps of shock from her people. None came.

“Hi, Elsa!” one of the villagers called.

“Huh?” Elsa said, surprised she was being called by her first name.

“You made it! Her Majesty said you were coming.”

Elsa made her way slowly to her sister, confusion written all over her face at the unexpected welcome she received. Anna bumped her shoulder against her older sister.

“I told the townspeople it would be fine to call you ‘Elsa’ from now on if they wanted to,” she explained, “you wanted to enjoy the festival as an ordinary subject? You got it! Happy Birthday. Now enough with the stupid cloak.”

Honeymaren laughed, relishing in the dumbfounded look on Elsa’s face as people merely waved at her before continuing about their day.

“Is that… regret I see on your face?” she teased, “did you enjoy all the attention you had back then?”

“What? No!” Elsa shot back, giving Honeymaren a shove, “I love this! I finally get to be part of Arendelle in a way that I have never been allowed to be.”

Honeymaren playfully shoved her back, earning a laugh from the blonde.

“Oh! So this must be Honeymaren!” another townsperson exclaimed after watching their close interaction, “the girlfriend?”

Elsa and Honeymaren froze. Anna smiled sheepishly at them.

“I… uh… may have let slipped the news about the two of you…”

Elsa rested her forehead in her hand.

“Anna! I _told_ you not to make a big deal out of this!”

“I can’t help it! It’s _you_ and _Honeymaren_! The entire kingdom has been waiting for an announcement like this for forever!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Come on!” Anna replied, looking surprised at Elsa’s cluelessness, “when you left to stay in the forest, surely you must have caught wind of the rumours that you abdicated for love?”

“WHAT?!”

Elsa was flabbergasted.

“I’m just glad I can put these rumours to rest with the truth.”

“Anna, this is not…”

“I know, I know, you’re meant to be in the forest because of your Fifth Spirit duties and all that,” Anna waved Elsa off, “of course I know that. But I also know that you did it for Honeymaren. She told you you belonged up there. With her. And then you left. Elsa, who are we kidding here, it was _so_ obvious.”

“To whom???”

“To… I dunno, to me, to Kristoff, to Mattias… to everyone! We just didn’t want to say anything because we didn’t want to ruin it.”

“No, Anna! That is _not_ what happened- ”

“It’s okay! I’m not mad you left Arendelle for her. I’m actually _ecstatic_! I just want you to be happy, Elsa. And whenever I see you with Honeymaren…”

Anna sighed, looking between Elsa and Honeymaren, clearly seeing something between them that Honeymaren could not see.

“You clearly _love_ each other. So much,” Anna concluded.

 _What the hell???_ Honeymaren thought. But she found comfort in seeing that at least Elsa too appeared to have completely no idea what Anna saw between them.

Townspeople caught on to the conversation. A matronly woman wrapped an arm around Elsa.

“Oh, Your Maj-, I mean, Elsa, dear,” she said, “now that I’ve seen her. I totally understand.”

The woman wrapped her other arm around Honeymaren.

“I would leave a kingdom for a girl like her too.”

“Uh huh,” Anna agreed.

Elsa laughed nervously, trying to step away from the embrace without being rude.

“Thanks, Mrs Bjorn, but that’s not why I…”

“Come!” Mrs Bjorn was already turning away, reaching into her stall to pull out a pair of matching scarves.

She draped each one over Elsa and Honeymaren.

“I knitted these for young lovers. It is supposed to bring your union good luck.”

Honeymaren stared at the scarf around her neck, swallowing nervously. She didn’t know what it was like in Arendelle, but matching scarves were a _big deal_ among the Northuldra. They represented family. Some married couples waited _years_ before they gifted each other something like that.

Apparently, it was a big deal for Arendellians too, because Anna squealed with delight and Elsa was completely red in the face.

“Mrs Bjorn, I appreciate it, really,” Elsa tried, “but we _cannot_ accept this…”

“Of course you can, dear! No charge, consider it a gift. I couldn’t give you gifts when you were queen, but now, after everything you have done for our kingdom, we just want to see you have all the luck and happiness in the world.”

“You can’t reject good luck, Elsa,” Anna added, “I know you’re all international now, but that would be very un-Arendellian of you and you know that.”

Evidently backed into a corner, Elsa glanced at Honeymaren apologetically. Honeymaren nodded to her to signal that she understood.

“Thank you, Mrs Bjorn,” Elsa finally said.

She tentatively took Honeymaren’s hand in hers.

“Honeymaren and I will treasure this gift very much.”

As Mrs Bjorn led Anna through her stall to show her the rest of her wares, Elsa held on to Honeymaren’s hand.

“Honeymaren,” Elsa whispered, running her other hand over the smooth material of the scarf, “I didn’t know Anna told everyone… I know this is a lot to ask of you, but it seems like we may have to do a lot of couple things while we are here… I can’t… I can’t let my people down.”

Honeymaren nodded.

“I understand. This is my fault, anyway, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It appears what we’re doing makes the people I love happy too, so it isn’t just a favour to you anymore.”

Honeymaren stared at their joined hands, unsure how to proceed, now that they had to be more public with their artificial affections for each other.

“So what are we going to do now?” Honeymaren asked.

Something caught Elsa’s eye, and Honeymaren followed her gaze to see Elsa watching Kristoff buy a bouquet of flowers from another stall.

Elsa turned to smirk at Honeymaren, before tugging her towards Kristoff.

“We follow the lead of the ‘Love Expert’.”

Honeymaren never thought she would feel what she was feeling now. But when Elsa handed her the bouquet of flowers she bought her, Honeymaren’s stomach did a little flip, her face feeling incredibly hot.

 _Was she swooning? And more importantly, why?_ Honeymaren was no stranger to receiving flowers from the guys back home. But they never made her feel anything close to what she was feeling now.

 _Wait, was she falling for Elsa?_ Honeymaren forced those feelings down as soon as they surfaced, determined to ignore them. She was _not_ falling for Elsa, she told herself, only the version of Elsa that was pretending to be her girlfriend. The real Elsa was not like this.

But this version of Elsa was not making ignoring her feelings easy. Now having a reason to act the way she did, Elsa was playing the part of a charming, affectionate, dedicated girlfriend extremely convincingly. Honeymaren could not help but wonder if she actually wanted Elsa to be that way with her for real.

-

They were back in the castle grounds, and Anna had convinced Elsa to freeze an ice rink for the townspeople to skate on. Honeymaren never ice skated before, and she wasn’t too keen on starting now. Who in their right mind would want to glide on slippery ice with blades on their feet? It seemed like a recipe for a deadly disaster.

She was perfectly content with sitting on the sidelines, watching Elsa skate with her sister. But Elsa would not leave her side, gently encouraging her to join in on the fun.

“I’ll make you blades out of ice? They wouldn’t be as scary as metal ones.”

“Could still slice someone’s face open.”

“I’ll make them vanish before that could happen.”

“I don’t want to fall on my butt again. That seems to happen a lot when I’m around you.”

“I’ll catch you, I promise.”

“No thanks, I’m good.”

“Please, Honeymaren?” Elsa stood, her own shoes now having magical ice blades attached onto them. She skated once around Honeymaren, included an elegant twirl in her routine, before returning to face Honeymaren and holding out her hand, “we have to make this convincing. Nobody will ever believe the Snow Queen could be with a woman who doesn’t ice skate.”

Finally, Honeymaren grabbed Elsa’s hand and let her hoist her up to her feet. She felt herself being magically lifted a couple of inches off the ground and before she knew what was happening, she was balancing on two thin slivers or ice and her feet were slipping in opposite directions, and she was on the verge of doing a split. Elsa confidently skated away, not letting go of Honeymaren, and the pull forwards kept her on her feet. After some arm-flailing and feet-shuffling, Honeymaren finally got the hang of it.

“Ha!” Honeymaren exhaled shakily, “I’m doing it!”

“That’s it,” Elsa encouraged, as she continued to lead Honeymaren round the rink, her hands firm around Honeymaren’s, “just glide and pivot, glide and pivot.”

Ice skating was really fun. In fact, the whole Winter Festival was really, really fun. It made Honeymaren want to talk to Yelana about holding something like that in the forest, but she knew Yelana would probably never agree to something so foreign.

These were the experiences that Honeymaren had yearned for all her life. And she owed it all to Elsa. Anyone could have brought her out to Arendelle, to an ice rink, but Honeymaren was sure, only Elsa could have convinced her to skate on what was essentially knives made of ice.

-

But ice skating was also really cold. And exhausting. Her feet hurt. Taking the opportunity when Elsa was ambushed by the children to engage in a snowball fight, Honeymaren staggered to the edge of the rink, trying to catch her breath. Her innerwear was stained with perspiration and as they cooled in the winter air she was starting to shiver.

Her majesty caught her guest trembling and skated over.

“Honeymaren! You’re freezing!” Anna observed.

She frowned at Elsa.

“How could Elsa let this happen?”

“It’s fine,” Honeymaren wheezed, “the kids need her.”

“You’re too kind to your girlfriend, Honeymaren, but I’m not letting her get away with this. You need to get warmed up, and I know just the person to keep you company in the meantime!

-

“Are you nuts?”

Honeymaren could hear Elsa hissing at her sister outside the door to the sauna. She tensed at the sound of Elsa’s voice. _What’s happening now?_

Anna had dragged Honeymaren to Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post (And Sauna) to recuperate and before she knew what was happening, she was stripped and shoved into a wooden box that felt like a very humid oven.

On one hand, she felt very exposed, sitting butt naked in this foreign-looking room. But it also felt nice, warm and soothing, after an entire day in the harsh winter outdoors. Honeymaren figured she would never get the hang of Arendellian hospitality.

The commotion outside was really distracting, though.

“Why the fuss? Kristoff and I do saunas together all the time! Stop being a prude.”

“I don’t see the point! Leave Honeymaren alone! The cold never bothered me, I’m not going in there.”

“You’re not immune. You’ve literally _turned to ice_ before, Elsa.”

“I must insist! I’m not cold! I AM NEVER COLD!” she heard Elsa protest, before the door banged open again and the queen shoved her sister into the sauna.

Honeymaren squeaked at the sudden intrusion, trying and failing to cover herself with her hands. The door banged shut again, not before they caught Anna wish them, “Have fun, you two!”

Honeymaren stared at Elsa.

_Spirits._

Elsa was naked too. At the sight Honeymaren almost let her hands fall to her side in shock. She really didn’t want to stare. But she couldn’t help it.

Elsa was just… lithe and toned and curvy and pink embarrassed blotches of blush on smooth, pale skin… it was… no, no she mustn’t look.

She was glad she did though, because the view lasted only seconds. With a wave of a hand, Elsa fashioned an ice-dress for herself.

“Dammit, Anna!” Elsa swore, determinedly looking at the floor.

Honeymaren realised Elsa had better manners than her and followed Elsa’s lead, finally looking away from Elsa’s body, even though Elsa was already dressed.

“Got one of those outfits for me too?” Honeymaren asked.

“Are you sure? It’s literally pure ice.”

“Anything’s better than dying of embarrassment right now.”

Elsa agreed, and shot a bolt of ice towards Honeymaren, fashioning a bra and a pair of underwear.

“EEK!”

 _COLD COLD COLD._ Honeymaren learnt another new thing in that moment. Do NOT let your sensitive bits anywhere near permafrost.

“OFF! GET IT OFF, ELSA!”

“Sorry!”

And in another flash the icy undergarments were gone.

“Any frostbites?” Elsa asked, sounding afraid to hear the answer.

“No, thank goodness.”

They shared an awkward silence. Elsa was still looking anywhere but at Honeymaren. Honeymaren could only think of one thing, _how did Elsa know her size so accurately to fashion such form-fitting clothes? Did Elsa look? Or did Elsa always know because they were close friends? Or was it magic?_

“Ugh, this is a disaster,” Elsa groaned, plonking down on one of the wooden chairs, as far away from Honeymaren as possible.

Honeymaren let herself study Elsa closely. She was dressed anyway, so Honeymaren didn’t need to feel guilty. Elsa looked upset. And embarrassed.

“I’m sorry this is so awkward,” Elsa mumbled, “I never wanted it to become like this. I just wanted you to see Arendelle for the beautiful kingdom that it is…”

Honeymaren sighed. Pushing aside her shyness at being stark naked, she walked over to Elsa, sitting right beside her. She nudged her shoulder at Elsa.

Elsa blushed hard as Honeymaren got close to her.

“Then you have succeeded,” Honeymaren replied, “Arendelle is a beautiful kingdom. And I am so happy for all these new experiences, Elsa.”

Honeymaren balled her hand into a fist for courage. She released it, then reached over to hold Elsa’s hand. Elsa finally looked up at her to meet her eyes, sense of propriety forgotten.

“It sounds insane given the situation we’re in right now, but this is exactly how I imagined life should be like now that the mist is lifted.”

-

Saunas made a person really hungry.

They were now on one of the many benches set up in the middle of the town square, soaking in the atmosphere as Anna and Kristoff entertained the Arendellian children that had gathered. Elsa was capitalising on the rare moment of being ignored to introduce as much food as possible to Honeymaren.

“Okay, try this one,” Elsa said as she pulled a plate of questionable brown cake towards them.

Elsa dug her fork into the cake. She had to use both hands because the cake was so hard.

Honeymaren had her doubts. She didn’t like the look of the multicoloured spots running through the cake.

“Uhh… Is that edible?”

By now Elsa had managed to chip a small piece away from the slice.

“Of course!”

“It looks like it might break my teeth. What is that?”

“It’s a fruit cake.”

Honeymaren made a face.

“Okay, the green and red spots look nothing like fruit and the rock-hard brown pastry looks nothing like cake…”

Elsa rolled her eyes, spearing the small piece on her fork and dangling it in front of Honeymaren.

“Don’t you trust me?”

Honeymaren did. So she grudgingly opened her mouth as Elsa fed her the fruit cake.

It was…new… strange… but also delicious. She realised she had closed her eyes to savour the cake and when she opened it she caught Elsa studying her with a look of satisfaction and pride on her face. Before she could tell Elsa what she thought about the cake –

“Told ya,” Elsa said smugly.

Honeymaren laughed, snatching Elsa’s fork away from her so she could get more cake.

Again, Honeymaren was hit with the feeling that this was exactly what her life should be all about – trying new things, seeing the world, broadening her horizons. And to think if she succumbed to Northuldran pressures she wouldn’t be able to do all this. More confusing still was the fact that she was only getting to do all this because the very same pressure made her pretend to be in a relationship with Elsa.

But no matter how new everything felt, Elsa still felt like home. She always did. Maybe it was the Northuldra in Elsa’s blood, but then again, maybe it wasn’t, because Elsa never seemed truly Northuldran to Honeymaren, and Honeymaren liked that about her. Elsa made new things feel familiar, strange things feel comfortable. It wasn’t that she gave Honeymaren merely the opportunity to explore, but her presence gave Honeymaren space and confidence to try experiences she would never go for alone.

Honeymaren had always wanted adventure. But perhaps _Elsa_ was the adventure she was meant to embark on? Was this what Honeymaren had been looking for all of her life? Was _Elsa_ what she had been looking for?

Honeymaren was pulled back to her present adventure by the sound of Elsa whining.

“Hey, come on, save some for me!”

Elsa wrestled her for the fork, and it was only then that Honeymaren realised she had worked her way through almost all of the cake.

“Ooh Elsa! So what Anna said was true, then?” came a voice, “Honeymaren is your girlfriend?”

Honeymaren and Elsa looked up to see Olaf climbing up the bench opposite them.

“Why did you think it wasn’t true, Olaf?”

Olaf scratched the twigs on his head, thinking.

“Well, lately I’ve been studying the nature of romantic relationships,” he began seriously, sounding more mature to Honeymaren each time she met him, “I thought I had it all figured out but seeing the two of you now, I’m starting to question if I understood anything at all.”

Honeymaren shifted nervously in her seat. Were they that terrible at pretending to be a couple, that even a snowman could see right through them?

Elsa hurriedly grabbed Honeymaren’s hand, before softening her hold to try and make it look loving.

“What do you mean?” Elsa asked, trying to keep her voice casual.

“Well, Anna says you can tell when someone are just friends or if they’re a couple. Couples hold hands, skate together, share dessert, play on the same team in charades.”

“That’s what we do, Olaf,” Honeymaren pointed out, resting her other hand over Elsa’s to make it more convincing, “because we are a real couple.”

“That’s the problem,” Olaf sighed.

“Why?”

“A year ago, would you say you were just friends?”

“Yeah, we weren’t together then.”

“But you see, you two have been doing these things for as long as you’ve known each other! How do I know when you are a couple and when you aren’t?”

Elsa and Honeymaren exchanged a sheepish glance.

“We… we have?” Elsa asked in a small voice.

“Uh huh,” the snowman nodded, “I asked Anna if that meant you have been a couple all this time, but she said that sometimes, two women can just be _really good friends_.”

 _That’s what they were, actually. Just friends._ In a way, Honeymaren was glad that Olaf saw through them. Now that she thought hard about it, girlfriend-Elsa and friend-Elsa wasn’t all that different, except for the flowers today and the pretend displays of affection.

“I think…” Olaf continued, “the only definitive proof that two people are in a relationship… is a true love’s kiss.”

“A what?” Honeymaren gasped.

“A true love’s kiss,” Olaf repeated, “like in the books I’m learning to read.”

“I think it’s time I talk to Anna about age restrictions on the books in the library,” Elsa sighed.

“Speaking of books,” Olaf went on, clueless to the panic he had induced, “I have also been reading about the scientific method. And I wish to test my hypothesis that only couples kiss each other. Oh Sven!”

Olaf clapped his twig hands together. Sven trotted up behind Elsa and Honeymaren, his nose nuzzling into Honeymaren’s hat.

“Look up, ladies, and do what only couples do,” Olaf stated matter-of-factly.

Honeymaren and Elsa turned around to face Sven, before looking up to see the antlers that were looming above their heads. Fastened to the highest antler, was a plant Honeymaren recognised as mistletoe.

“Olaf…” Elsa warned.

“What?” he asked innocently, pulling out a quill and scroll to document his findings.

There was a loud gasp from afar.

“MISTLETOE!” came Anna’s squeal.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” Elsa muttered under her breath, her sister getting on her last nerve.

“Uh Elsa…?” Honeymaren was more confused than ever, “does mistletoe mean something in Arendelle?”

By now the queen had hurried over, flinging her weight onto her reindeer so she could get a front row seat to the show.

“YOU HAVE TO DO IT, ELSA! YOU KNOW THE RULES!” Anna continued to shout at full volume despite her close proximity.

“What rules? Do what?” Honeymaren stared desperately at Elsa, who was looking anywhere but at her.

Honeymaren was vaguely aware that a small crowd of Arendellians was gathering around them now. Whatever that was going to happen looked like it had to happen now, as Elsa appeared more and more resigned to their fate at the expectant look on the faces of her kingdom’s people. Honeymaren knew that if the people wanted it, Elsa would deliver.

“SHE HAS TO KISS YOU, HONEYMAREN!”

_Wait…. whaaattt???!!!_

Before she knew what was happening, Elsa was looking right back at her, blue eyes serious and piercing.

“So you wanted a day of new experiences, right?” she whispered, hands cupping Honeymaren’s face oh-so-gently, “Ready for one more?”

And then Elsa was leaning closer… and closer… and some people had started cheering, and then their voices were getting drowned out by the ringing that had started in Honeymaren’s ears...

And Elsa was a hair’s breadth away now, and that intoxicating frosty breath Honeymaren previously felt on her cheek was against her lips as Elsa drew impossibly closer without their lips touching…

Honeymaren thought her heart had stopped beating.

And then, at the last moment, Elsa hesitated.

 _What, she was going to be all shy now?!_ Honeymaren wanted to scream.

So Honeymaren grabbed Elsa’s face in turn and closed the gap, kissing Elsa fully on the lips.


	4. Prompt 4: "Out of everyone you could have chosen, why me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending of the last chapter put Elsa and Honeymaren in a very messy situation.  
> Mr Brightside describes it best, "It was only a kiss, how did it end up like this?"  
> 

Elsa opened the front door to her ice cottage to find the Nokk pacing outside, turning the ground by the door into mud.

“Do you have something for me?”

He turned and pointed his head northwards.

“You found it?”

He bowed low. Elsa smiled, reaching out to stroke his mane. The Nokk bent his front legs to allow her to climb on.

“I can’t leave now,” Elsa explained, turning to look towards the main camp, “I’ve only just returned.”

He was impatient and showed it by stomping the ground.

“Okay, okay,” Elsa sighed, “let me talk to Yelana.”

_And to Honeymaren._

Elsa didn’t say that out loud, a little embarrassed and surprised at the thought that she would delay her trip if Honeymaren were to ask her to. She never used to. In fact, a single note addressed to both Honeymaren and Ryder together usually sufficed. But ever since they returned from Arendelle things with Honeymaren felt… different.

Especially after the incident under the mistletoe.

It was just for show, but the emotions felt so _real_. At least to Elsa. She couldn’t tell if Honeymaren felt the same way.

At first she was just doing it because of the mistletoe and because Anna was shouting at her which always made her confused and also because her people were expecting it. But as Elsa was drawing closer, she became acutely aware that she didn’t want to toy with Honeymaren’s emtions. Especially just to please others. Honeymaren’s feelings mattered more.

Sure her feelings were at risk of getting hurt too, but strangely Elsa _wanted_ it to happen, and then she was surprised at how much she wanted it, and that freaked her out so much she froze at the very last second.

But before she could process all of it Honeymaren had closed the gap and Elsa’s mind went blank as those full, soft lips pressed against hers. Honeymaren was firm, and surprisingly sure, and almost teasing in the way that she pulled back right before Elsa could lean forward and respond, as though she _knew_ Elsa wanted more.

If it felt as amazing as it did then, Elsa wondered what it would feel like if she actually kissed someone she liked. Or wait, was it already the same thing?

Elsa groaned in frustration.

_It was only a kiss, how did it end up like this?_

She slammed her forehead into the Nokk, and he groaned in annoyance before galloping away.

Right. Fifth Spirit duties first. She had to talk to Yelana. Shaking her head to clear it, Elsa made her way towards the main Northuldra camp.

-

Elsa was on the path towards the camp when she heard Honeymaren’s voice ahead. Before she could explain why she did it, an urge to avoid Honeymaren overwhelmed her and she hurried off the path, hiding behind the trees.

“You seem upset with me,” Honeymaren was saying to her companion.

“Maren, I’d rather not talk about this,” Elsa heard the other woman reply.

She recognised the voice to belong to a childhood friend of Honeymaren’s.

“Ingrid, please, what is going on?”

“It’s nothing… it’s stupid.”

Elsa saw Honeymaren place a hand on Ingrid’s shoulder and they stopped walking. Honeymaren’s back was to Elsa, and from her vantage point Elsa could see the tears brimming in Ingrid’s eyes.

“I just…” Ingrid whispered, soft enough that Elsa would have missed it had they not been almost right in front of her, “I didn’t know you like women.”

“Oh.”

Honeymaren dropped her hand back to her side, shuffling on the spot.

“I didn’t know too.”

“How could you not? You said you were the one to ask Elsa out, not the other way around.”

“That’s not… well, that’s only because… Ingrid, I wish I could explain this to you.”

“Well, why can’t you? We used to tell each other everything.”

“And we still do!” Honeymaren insisted, “I just haven’t talked to you about this because everything’s still so new…”

“New? That’s what you kept saying all those months ago and then Elsa returned and all of a sudden you’re going to Arendelle to meet her family? And then you come back with matching scarves! Matching scarves, Maren! Isn’t that like being married now?”

“It’s different in Arendelle. At least I think it is…”

“I’m just surprised by how serious you two really are, that’s all.”

“Well, why does it matter to you how serious we are?” Honeymaren asked, tone defensive, and Elsa could tell how uncomfortable Honeymaren was about having to lie to her friend, “I never hid this relationship from you. In fact, may I remind you, you and the gang dragged it out of me before I was even ready to share!”

“Because we never expected you to have anything to share!”

“As if! All you guys ever do is ask me about my love life!”

“We do not!”

“Please, Ingrid, you’re the worst one! ‘When are you settling down, Maren?’ ‘Who do you like, Maren?’ ‘Will you be open to someone asking you out, Maren?’”

“Well,” Ingrid started to walk away from Honeymaren, “Why do you think I care so much?”

“Yes! Why _do_ you care so much?”

Ingrid was right in front of Elsa now, and at Maren’s question, Ingrid squeezed her eyes shut in exasperation and Elsa could see the tears streaming down her face. From that, Elsa figured out why. Much earlier than Honeymaren probably should have. And Elsa’s heart sank for Ingrid.

“Ingrid, why are you so upset?”

“I just feel so stupid, okay?” Ingrid finally said, “I wish I had known… I mean I _guessed_ that about you but then I thought I was just imagining things.”

“Known what? Guessed what?”

 _Oh, Honeymaren!_ Elsa wanted to shake the brunette. _How could you be so blind?_

“It’s no secret to you that I like women too, Maren,” Ingrid’s voice was getting quieter and quieter as she continued with her confession, “you’ve known that since we were teenagers. There is a reason why you were one of the first girls I ever told. I had hoped… I mean, there were times when I thought you could be… that we could be… you know, _more…_ but then, as we got older, I figured, whatever your orientation was you always said you never cared for being in a relationship, that you never wanted to settle down.”

Ingrid sniffed, “So when I heard you were suddenly with Elsa, I just felt… I mean, how could you? After everything we’ve…”

Ingrid sighed, wiping at her eyes.

“Never mind,” she finished, “I’ve said too much.”

Honeymaren finally seemed to be catching on.

“Oh, Ingrid…”

Honeymaren walked over to Ingrid, causing Elsa to step back because Honeymaren was getting too close to where she was hiding. The guilt on Honeymaren’s face reflected how Elsa felt.

“Ingrid, I’m so sorry, I never knew you felt this way.”

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Ingrid sniffed, “I don’t want to make things weird between us.”

“You didn’t, you can’t. Ingrid, I think I should be honest with you…”

Elsa froze in panic, wondering how much Honeymaren was going to reveal.

“This thing with Elsa,” Honeymaren searched for the right words, “it isn’t… it’s… well, it’s exactly what I need it to be right now.”

Elsa was starting to get the sense that it was wrong to carry on this lie, but she couldn’t help the sigh of relief when she realised Honeymaren was not going to come clean.

“And whether Elsa is in my life or not, you and I… we would never work.”

 _Ouch._ _That was brutal._ Elsa winced for Ingrid, starting to feel like she really shouldn’t be there to listen to this. But it was too late to slip away without being heard.

A small sob emitted from Ingrid.

“I’m sorry that was so direct,” Honeymaren continued, “it’s just that… you deserve someone who wants what you want. And you want a home in the forest, a life with the Northuldra.”

“And you don’t want that?”

“No! Yes! I- I don’t know… But you see? That’s exactly my point! You’re sure of what your future holds for you, and I’m not.”

“And what about Elsa? You know she _moved_ to the forest to _be_ in the forest, right? Have you told her everything you’re telling me now?”

“Elsa…” Honeymaren fumbled, “it’s different because… what Elsa wants doesn’t matter…”

That hurt, even though Elsa knew exactly what Honeymaren meant; They weren’t a real couple, and Elsa’s choices should not be affected by Honeymaren. And vice versa. This was, after all, precisely why they were in a fake relationship in the first place. To keep the societal pressure at bay while they maintained their freedom to do as they pleased.

“What? How can you say that about your own girlfriend? What’s up with you, Maren? This isn’t like you.”

“Of course what she wants matters, in a sense. It’s just that, between us… how do I put this… there’s an understanding…”

“I don’t get it,” Ingrid said flatly.

“Ugh! It’s complicated.”

 _Just tell her the truth!_ Elsa wanted to say. She couldn’t help but feel that Honeymaren was throwing away something that could be very real and very precious just to prop up a lie that was increasingly become more problematic than it was beneficial.

“You know what?” Ingrid replied, sounding resigned, “it doesn’t matter. I’m sorry I even pried. It’s not my place. You are right, Elsa or no Elsa, it doesn’t affect how you feel about me.”

Elsa was surprised at the complete lack of bitterness in Ingrid’s tone, even if she could sense her disapproval for how Honeymaren was approaching her relationship with Elsa.

“I just need to know… Is this what you really want?” Ingrid asked, “Whatever it is that you share with Elsa. And I’m asking only as a friend.”

There was a very long pause. Elsa was also holding her breath as she waited for Honeymaren’s answer.

“Yes,” Honeymaren finally said, “for now.”

“For now?”

“There may be a time in the future,” Honeymaren explained, “where things about my current relationship with Elsa may come to light… I just want you to remember then, that this is exactly what I want right now. What I need, even.”

Ingrid was staring at Honeymaren, puzzled. Finally, she shook her head and sighed.

“As long as you are happy, Maren.”

“I am, thank you.”

The two women embraced.

When they broke apart, Honeymaren said, “You mean a lot to me, Ingrid. I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I have always loved you. You’re like a sister.”

Elsa was floored by Honeymaren’s complete lack of tact. But to her surprise, Ingrid choked out a laugh.

“Honeymaren Nattura,” Ingrid replied, sighing even as genuine joy shone through her teary reply, “You really know how to break a girl’s heart.”

Honeymaren laughed with Ingrid, looking relieved that they had resolved their issues.

“Now let’s go get that timber you wanted for Elsa’s gift,” Ingrid said, unfastening the axe on her back as they walked away.

Elsa stepped out onto the path, watching the backs of the two women until they faded from view. She couldn’t help but be amazed at how they sorted things out, and how Ingrid completely accepted Honeymaren even when she didn’t understand her. Ingrid obviously cared for Honeymaren, probably in a way Elsa could never.

And if Elsa was conflicted about her feelings regarding Honeymaren earlier that day, this revelation certainly didn’t help.

This morning she was confused about her feelings for Honeymaren and the kiss they shared. It already felt too much then, but _oh_ , if only things had remained that simple.

Now she was also sorry for Ingrid.

And frustrated at Honeymaren for not seeing Ingrid for who she could be to her.

And also a little jealous of Ingrid.

And upset at herself for being jealous.

And a little gleeful that Honeymaren chose her.

And baffled by that unreasonable sense of triumph.

And simultaneously disappointed that her relationship with Honeymaren was just a lie.

And then feeling kind of used by Honeymaren.

And guilty that she was making use of Honeymaren for the same reasons.

And most of all, shocked as to how one person could feel so many things all at once.

Lost in her thoughts she nearly slipped. When she steadied herself, she realised the ground below her had frozen. It was also snowing.

Elsa sighed. This was a mess. She waved her hands to clear her mind of Honeymaren and to clear her surroundings of the snow and frost.

Perhaps this trip with the Nokk was coming at the right time.

-

“And when do you intend to leave?” Yelana asked.

Elsa was already about to summon the Nokk.

“Now?” Yelana realised, and folded her arms, “Aren’t you going to say anything to Honeymaren?”

Elsa stopped in her tracks, the guilt building again. She was intending to talk to Honeymaren, but after everything she’d heard, she didn’t know if she could face Honeymaren without revealing that she had eavesdropped on that conversation with Ingrid. Also, she remembered -

_It’s different because… what Elsa wants doesn’t matter…_

“She’ll understand,” Elsa justified, “she knows I have to do things like this.”

“Look, Elsa, with all due respect,” Yelana began, “you may be a former queen and the Fifth Spirit, so maybe you’re used to doing exactly what you want all the time, but now you’re also Honeymaren’s girlfriend. And Honeymaren is like a daughter to me, so I feel like I have to say something.”

Yelana frowned at Elsa and continued.

“You weren’t around for her twenty-fifth birthday, Elsa. You know how important that day is to Honeymaren. What’s more, it you are the partner, such an absence is frankly unacceptable among the Northuldra. And now, after having been gone for two months, you are leaving her again?”

 _Honeymaren invented the relationship on that birthday!_ But instead, Elsa evenly said, “Yelana, it would only be for a couple of days. At most, a week.”

“But you’re not going to talk to Honeymaren?”

“I have been doing this for as long as I have known her. She understands. When the spirits call, I have to answer.”

“That was because she was just your friend. Things are different now.”

It was taking every ounce of Elsa’s diplomatic and personal training to remain calm and keep her powers in check. She wanted to burst into tears and freeze everything at all the conflicting emotions swimming inside her.

“Yelana -” her voice quivered slightly.

“Elsa, you need to factor Honeymaren into your plans from now on. You need to value her. You may not see it, but Honeymaren means a lot to many of the Northuldra. I hate to say it, but she could be with anyone else if she chooses to. She should be with someone who knows her worth.”

That reminder coming right after seeing Honeymaren with Ingrid did not help. Elsa wanted to scream in frustration, because she _did_ value Honeymaren. Everything she was doing was _for_ Honyemaren. This whole lie was _her_ idea!

Elsa took a deep breath. None of this was Yelana’s fault. Elsa wasn’t offended by Yelana’s harsh words because she saw Yelana’s point. It was just all a huge misunderstanding, but before Elsa could explain herself, a voice called from behind them.

“What are you two talking about?”

They turned to see that Honeymaren had showed up, Ingrid by her side, both their arms full with chopped wood.

Yelana looked to Elsa to explain herself to Honeymaren.

“I need to go away,” Elsa began, satisfied at how business-like her voice was, even if it sounded cold, “remember how I’ve been trying to understand how water has memory? The Nokk thinks he may have found a lead.”

“Oh,” Honeymaren nodded, looking fully accepting, “okay.”

Yelana rounded on Honeymaren.

“Really? Honeymaren? You’re going to let her treat you like this?”

Honeymaren glared at Yelana.

“What were you telling Elsa, Yelana?” she asked instead of replying.

“Honeymaren, it’s for your own good.”

“It sounded very heated. Anything you want to say to Elsa about me you can say directly to me.”

Elsa always knew Honeymaren had a protective streak, but it felt strange when Honeymaren was protective over her. It’s never happened before.

 _Wait, did she like it? Wasn’t she supposed to be upset at Honeymaren right now? Spirits,_ _Honeymaren never made processing any emotion straightforward._

Yelana sighed.

“I was just telling Elsa that she is going to have to be more considerate of you when she thinks of leaving on her trips.”

“Why? She’s the Fifth Spirit,” Honeymaren pointed out.

“She was just going to up and leave! Without a word to you! Maren, you’re okay with this?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because she’s your girlfriend!”

For a moment Honeymaren looked shocked, as though she had forgotten that. Elsa wondered if her memory lapse had anything to do with the fact that she had been spending time with Ingrid.

“Oh. Right, uh… well,” Honeymaren scrambled to recover, “we have an understanding.”

There was a long silence after that vague reply.

And then, to everybody’s surprise, Ingrid chuckled.

“Yelana, don’t get Maren started on their ‘understanding’. That’s all she’s been trying to explain to me the whole morning.”

Ingrid unloaded the wood on the floor, before she continued.

“Honestly, I still don’t get their relationship. But if it works for them and they’re in love? So be it. You of all people should be pleased that Honeymaren’s finally partnered up, Yelana. You’ve done nothing but nag at her to settle down and set an example for the rest of us.”

Once again, Elsa was struck by how considerate Ingrid was for Honeymaren. She really was a gem, and Elsa didn’t know why Honeymaren could not see that.

Yelana made a disgruntled noise, continuing to stare disapprovingly at Elsa, but she let the matter rest. And to think Yelana was so happy when she first found out Elsa and Honeymaren a couple. Elsa marvelled at her own ability to screw up even a fake relationship.

“Honeymaren…” Elsa turned to the brunette, wanting to start from the beginning and explain her trip, just like she originally intended to.

“No need to say more,” Honeymaren cut her off, pointing behind Elsa, “your friend’s already here. And he looks impatient.”

True enough, the Nokk was by the edge of the clearing, stomping his hooves. He saw Elsa looking over and swung his neck northwards again, insistent that she should follow.

“Go,” Honeymaren said, “we’ll catch up when you’re back. Whenever that is. Don’t hurry and put yourself in danger.”

Elsa nodded.

“Thank you, Honeymaren.”

She was about to turn away when she caught Yelana and Ingrid staring at them both, as though expecting a more appropriate goodbye between the two. Honeymaren saw them staring too, and cleared her throat awkwardly, before leaning forwards for a hug.

Honeymaren gripped her back and Elsa guessed she must have felt the tension in the muscles there. Because she began to whisper in Elsa’s ear, her tone soothing.

“Don’t let Yelana’s words get to you, Elsa. I’m sorry to put you through that. But you have to come back safely, okay? If only so that I can tell you how I took my revenge against Yelana while you were gone.”

They broke apart and Honeymaren gave her a winning, mischievous, smile, which did make Elsa feel better. _How did Honeymaren know she was feeling like shit? And how did she know exactly what to say?_

Elsa smiled back, feeling much lighter and readier for her journey.

But the two Northuldrans were still staring. Honeymaren bit her lip, as though contemplating something, before leaning in to kiss Elsa.

This second kiss was not as good as the first. In fact, it was not good at all. Elsa was acutely aware that Yelana and Ingrid were watching, and it just made her feel extremely uncomfortable about leading them on. After all, all they wanted was the best for Honeymaren.

As Elsa finally galloped away on the Nokk, she looked back one more time at the three Northuldrans. Ingrid especially, was looking at Honeymaren with adoration as they sorted out the wood together.

Elsa couldn’t help but wonder why Honeymaren had to fake a relationship when she could be with someone like Ingrid. More difficult to understand, now that she saw Yelana’s disapproval, was that out of everyone Honeymaren could have chosen, why her?


	5. Prompt 5: “I’ll always love you.” – Alternate Universes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:  
> 1\. Rating: MATURE. There is a vague description of a sexual scene.  
> 2\. Trigger warning: Reference to drug use, but a fictional, magical drug. Hallucinogenic tea, essentially. Non-harmful, non-addictive.  
> 3\. Contains not-spoilery scenes from “The Elsamaren Logs” and “The Crown Must Always Win”. There is also a new never-before-seen scene for Logs readers, as a treat <3
> 
> Now that the warnings are out of the way. I know the previous chapter asked more questions than it answered. This one will throw in even more questions. I will wrap everything up. Soon, I hope.

“Psst.”

Honeymaren flinched and rolled away from the sound.

“Psst. Honeymaren.”

Honeymaren groaned and burrowed deeper into her pillow. A hand rested on her shoulder and shook her gently.

“Nrgghhh… Huh?” Honeymaren jolted awake, reaching instinctively for her staff and pointing it at her intruder.

“AAARGH!”

Honeymaren recognised that voice. She hurriedly lowered her staff.

“Spirits, Elsa! Why are you sneaking into my tent in the middle of the night?”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t have anywhere else to go!”

“You have an ice cottage and the ability to build a castle in the time it takes to sing a song.”

Bruni lit up, illuminating Elsa’s face as she held him in front of her.

“My experiment with Bruni failed and he melted my house down. So, I am going to need to work here.”

“Are you going to set my tent on fire? Because Yelana will kill me.”

“No, of course not. I realised a stove was the thing standing between me and success. Can I borrow yours?”

Honeymaren wondered how someone as impractical as Elsa could have ruled a kingdom so successfully for six years.

“You were setting a fire indoors without a stove?”

“Well I don’t have a stove, do I? It’s one of the things I can’t fashion from ice.”

It only dawned on Honeymaren then that Elsa didn’t have something as essential as a stove. Ever since Elsa moved to the forest she had never cooked. Not even once. Honeymaren realised she had been cooking for Elsa since the beginning of their friendship. At first it was because she was eager to show her food of the Northuldra, and then it just became habit. Even when Elsa went on her trips Honeymaren gave her permission to access her stores beforehand if she needed to. Honeymaren even packed food for her often. Elsa never noticed or showed appreciation for it, and Honeymaren figured it had something to do with being raised as a princess. Food just came to her, always prepared, and she never had to spare a thought about it. Secretly, weirdly, she quite liked that Elsa depended on her for this. Elsa was always off in her own world, well saving the world, actually, so it was nice being needed by Elsa for something.

Therefore, now she really wanted to help Elsa. But also, it was the middle of the night. And Elsa shouldn’t be here. They would get in trouble.

Honeymaren rubbed her eyes.

“Can this wait until morning? Consider the optics of you spending the night in my tent, Elsa. We aren’t married. And people think we are in a relationship.”

“Well, the spirits are impatient. I am too. I’ll sneak out before sunrise.”

Honeymaren sighed, reaching for her lamp and offering it to Bruni. The salamander climbed in and turned it on. He then scampered around the tent, lighting all of Honeymaren’s lamps. Honeymaren could see what Elsa meant by him being excited.

Now that the sleepiness was fading, her interest was piqued. Elsa’s work with the spirits was always fascinating.

“Welcome home by the way,” Honeymaren pointed out, realising that the last time she had seen Elsa was when she rode away on the Nokk to follow the lead he found.

That was two nights ago. And Elsa looked like she hadn’t slept much in the time in between. As she lit the stove, the fire illuminated the dark circles under her eyes.

“You’re sure this can’t wait?” Honeymaren asked, more concerned than curious now, “you look like death.”

“I can’t sleep until this is done, I lose control of my magic when I sleep and I am consciously, actively keeping this frozen.”

At that, Elsa rummaged in the bag over her shoulder, pulling out a slab of ice.

“You need to be in control. To keep ice frozen. In the middle of winter,” Honeymaren deadpanned.

“This wasn’t always ice. It’s steam. From a hot spring in the mountain range up north. It’s fighting me to become steam again.”

“Woah,” Honeymaren exhaled, fascinated.

“Bruni thinks he can create a magic fire that will melt it into water instead of steam, so that’s what we’re going to try.”

Honeymaren crawled out of bed to join Elsa by the stove.

“What’s so special about this steam? Why do you want to contain it as water?”

Elsa didn’t answer immediately, setting a pot over Bruni’s fire before dumping the ice in it. She covered the pot and settled on a cushion by the stove, watching as Bruni curled up comfortably in the fire underneath the pot.

Honeymaren pulled up a stool for herself and waited. Once everyone was settled, Elsa began to tell her story.

“You know how I’ve been spending the past several months studying water? How and why it has memory?”

“Uh huh.”

“Well, I’ve drawn a blank.”

That was a short story.

“But,” Elsa continued, “I have been more successful on another front. My purpose in this whole thing.”

“Oh?”

“Ahtohallan is frozen. The memory stores of this world are locked in a river of ice. My powers are in manipulating frozen water, which is why I am the one to access Ahtohallan and the memories stored within. But the other spirits have other powers. So what if water has more than memories? What if the spirits can interact with water in other ways that I can’t? And as the bridge, am I to guide them in using their powers to unlock the potential of water?”

Honeymaren was very intrigued by now.

“Water and Earth. Ahtohallan is a land mass, much like earth. So if solid water is earth, what is on the other end of that spectrum?”

“Water and Air.”

“Yes,” Elsa nodded, “And what is the opposite of memory?”

“The future!”

Honeymaren gasped.

“Elsa, you think water can tell the future?”

“ _Steam_ , specifically.”

“Woah.”

Honeymaren always knew Elsa was intelligent, but every time she was shown an example of _how_ intelligent, it left Honeymaren in awe.

“So you think you can access the future like how you can access the past?” Honeymaren asked.

“That’s what I thought. But then I realised. That is not my place. Another spirit will have to do this.”

“Gale?”

“You would think so, because steam is air. But the earth giants don’t access memory. I do. So if I can turn water into ‘earth’ and pull out memories, who can turn water into ‘air’ to pull out the future?”

Bruni trilled from his place in the stove, as though he understood what the Fifth Spirit was saying, and Honeymaren turned to him, eyes widening in realisation.

“Oh my gosh,” Honeymaren gasped, feeling excitement building in her at what Elsa was trying to do.

She had always been fascinated by the lore of the spirits, and it was unbelievable that this was her life now; Being close friends with a real life Fifth Spirit of legend and unlocking the secrets of nature.

“So for months now I have been hunting for a source of magical steam, much like how Ahtohallan is a source for magical ice,” Elsa continued, “most hot springs and geysers were unremarkable. But two days ago, the Nokk found this hot spring. And I think this might be it. I can feel it.”

The lid of the pot rattled and Elsa placed a hand over it, whispering to Bruni.

“A little lower now. We don’t want it being steam again.”

Bruni’s flame turned a cooler shade.

“This is the third time we’re trying this,” Elsa returned to speaking to Honeymaren, “as steam it does nothing. I can’t manipulate it. Bruni can’t manipulate it. Gale only swishes it around. So I froze some to bring back. I figured maybe if it turns into water, I can do something with it. Freeze it into visions of the future, or something… I haven’t figured that part out yet…”

“You drink it,” Honeymaren suddenly replied.

“What?”

“I want to show you something.”

Honeymaren got up from her chair, brimming with the same nervous energy she had that fateful night more than a year ago, when she taught Elsa about the Fifth Spirit in a fireside chat.

She rummaged about her food stores, pulling out her teapot and a tin of special tea leaves.

“Tea?” Elsa asked.

“Not any ordinary tea, ceremonial tea.”

Honeymaren placed the items on the table beside the stove.

“For centuries, the Northuldra have read tea leaves to try and interpret the future. I never believed in it, but we prepare this tea at the beginning of every season, in a ceremony that is supposed to give us an idea of what the upcoming season has in store for us.”

Elsa was sitting up straight now, enthralled, as she realised Honeymaren might very well be right.

“I figure… if the Northuldran symbols were right once,” Honeymaren explained, pointing at Elsa, “about the Fifth Spirit… maybe another Northuldran tradition could help us again?”

Elsa nodded excitedly.

“Of course!” she gasped, “These traditions _must_ have some element of truth in them! I am not the first Fifth Spirit. The previous one that roamed the earth centuries ago might have started this tradition with the Northuldra!”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“Oh my gosh, Honeymaren! You are a genius!”

Honeymaren chuckled, blushing a little at the praise.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves… we may be wrong.”

-

The first round of tea had been brewed. Honeymaren and Elsa stared at their own cups, doubt starting to build. Now that the excitement had settled, the idea seemed rather outrageous.

Honeymaren decided, there was no harm in trying anyway. Raising her cup, she waited for Elsa to do the same.

“No time like the present to try something stupid, right?” Honeymaren said.

“A time-related joke, Honeymaren, really?”

They laughed, before clinking their glasses together.

One sip was all it took for Honeymaren to feel strange. She felt like her soul was lifting out of her body. The tent around her shifted. Everything was fading away except for Elsa.

“Are you feeling this?” Elsa asked.

“Uh huh…”

* * *

> The environment steadied again. They were still in Honeymaren’s tent, except that things looked a little different. All of Honeymaren’s winter equipment were gone. Instead, Honeymaren’s summer tunics were hanging on a clotheline to dry. The air felt warmer too, in a way that Honeymaren had not felt in months.
> 
> “Are we in some sort of a future summer?” Elsa asked, signalling to Honeymaren that she wasn’t the only one seeing strange things.
> 
> “I guess so.”
> 
> A familiar laughter echoed from outside the tent. Familiar, because it was her own laugh.
> 
> The entrance to her tent flapped open, and Honeymaren herself burst into the tent, giggling.
> 
> “Woah!” Present-day Honeymaren gasped upon seeing her future form.
> 
> It was a really strange experience.
> 
> “Wait up!” an Elsa called from outside the tent.
> 
> The Elsa sitting beside her spun to look at the entrance too at the sound of her own voice.
> 
> Future-Elsa emerged, panting as she jogged into the tent to join Future-Honeymaren.
> 
> “Oh gosh, look at my hair,” Present-Elsa complained, “all that sun damage.”
> 
> “You look so beautiful,” Present-Honeymaren replied on instinct, before coughing to hide the awkwardness from this inappropriate confession.
> 
> Future-Honeymaren must have thought so too, for she pulled Future-Elsa in for a hug, nuzzling into all that frizzy sun-bleached hair. It felt extremely intimate, and Present-Honeymaren felt uncomfortable staring.
> 
> _What were these two friends up to?_
> 
> “We did it,” Future-Elsa sighed, “We really pulled it off.”
> 
> “That was a fun wedding,” Future-Honeymaren agreed.
> 
> “Wait, who got married!” Present-Honeymaren asked, excited.
> 
> She couldn’t wait to tell the lucky couple in the present day. But then, she caught sight of her future clothes. She was wearing a bridal attire. Elsa was still in a unique gown, but the design was more extravagant.
> 
> “Do you think they bought it?” Future-Elsa giggled.
> 
> “Bought that we’re in love?” Future-Honeymaren asked, “I should hope so. Elsa, we’re _married._ ”
> 
> “I know, but given our history of lies…”
> 
> They both dissolved into giggles, before leaning into each other for a kiss.
> 
> “WHAT!” Present-Honeymaren and Present-Elsa exclaimed in unison.

* * *

Their shouts broke the magic, and the two of them returned to the present immediately. The rush of cold hitting Honeymaren’s face reminded her it was winter again.

Honeymaren and Elsa stared at each other. She saw her own disbelief reflected in Elsa’s face.

“No,” Elsa said, “no no no no no.”

“It must be a joke right? Some kind of mirage?”

“Maybe we were still pretending to be in a relationship?”

“We really took it that far?”

Elsa shrugged. “I might have. You know how I am about commitment. Real commitment, that is.”

“Me too. Oh _spirits_! Did we really take our pretend relationship so far that we got married?!”

To clear her head, Honeymaren took another sip of her tea, before she remembered that it was magic tea…

The scene shifted again.

* * *

> “Els- Els- Elsa!” another Future-Honeymaren was gasping.
> 
> It was pitch black in the tent.
> 
> “Can you see anything?” Present-Elsa whispered.
> 
> Present-Honeymaren didn’t know why she was whispering.
> 
> There were some sounds of what appeared to be a struggle. Or a fight.
> 
> _Why were they fighting in the dark in the future? Were they still friends?_
> 
> Future-Honeymaren moaned. Loudly.
> 
> Present-Honeymaren’s eyes widened. She knew that sound. She’s only ever made that sound when she’s alone… feeling particularly… oh. OH.
> 
> Well, there’s still hope. Maybe she _was_ alone in her tent. Doing… alone stuff. But why was she calling out for Elsa? She can’t possibly be thinking of Elsa while she’s…?!
> 
> “Are you close?” came Future-Elsa’s voice.
> 
> _WHAT? there was a Future-Elsa in the tent too!_
> 
> “Don’t stop!”
> 
> “Honey _,_ ” Future-Elsa’s voice was muffled, “ _gods_ , please tell me you’re close…you _feel_ close”
> 
> _Honey._ Why did Future-Elsa calling her that make Present-Honeymaren feel so warm?
> 
> “Close to where?” Present-Elsa asked, “Where are they going?”
> 
> “That’s enough!” Present-Honeymaren exclaimed, slamming her cup on the table so hard it cracked.
> 
> That broke the vision and returned them both to reality.

* * *

Elsa was blinking in the light.

“What _was_ that?” Elsa asked.

Honeymaren was in too much shock to answer.

The let the silence stew for a while.

And then, Elsa gasped, finally understanding what she just witnessed. Honeymaren’s entire tent frosted over.

Bruni squeaked, scampering away before the frost hit him. The flame in the stove extinguished

“Honeymaren…” Elsa whispered, “I…I don’t think we were pretending anymore…”

“You don’t say!”

Honeymaren was freaking out.

“What was that, Elsa! What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know!” Elsa’s voice was rising with Honeymaren’s too.

“Look maybe this is all a trick,” Honeymaren pulled the can of tea leaves towards her, “do you know if tea expire?”

“Some plants and fungi cause hallucinations. Have these ceremonial tea leaves done anything like this before?”

“No! Of course not!”

“It must really be the water then. That must have been the future.”

“You’ve _got_ to be kidding, Elsa!”

Elsa stared at her cup with a critical gaze.

“Only one way to find out,” she said.

“Elsa, no!”

Elsa took another sip of her tea.

* * *

> Things were different again. Very very different.
> 
> They were in a castle. In fact, it looked like Arendelle Castle, but strangely different. The paintings that Honeymaren knew had different faces on them. The drapes were also a different colour. This version of Elsa and Honeymaren looked slightly _off_ too – Elsa’s hair was blonder and less white. It looked normal. Non-magical. This Honeymaren dressed wealthier too. They were standing in the throne room, Golden-Blonde-Elsa in an Arendellian gown and Honeymaren in a very regal-looking traditional Northuldra garb.
> 
> “Are you sure you wouldn't have preferred that fancy prince from the Southern Isles, rather than a tribeswoman who now has no tribe?” Regal-Looking-Honeymaren asked.
> 
> Golden-Blonde-Elsa pulled Regal-Looking-Honeymaren to her and kissed her on the cheek, causing Regal-Looking-Honeymaren to blush.
> 
> “No. Me marrying a man? That would have all been very antiseptic,” Golden-Blonde-Elsa murmured in a low voice.
> 
> And then the two were kissing again.
> 
> “Okay what is happening? Why are we kissing again?!” Present-Elsa was shouting, exasperated.

* * *

That exclamation brought them back to Honeymaren’s tent.

Honeymaren blinked, trying to process what they had just seen. Everything felt _off_. It didn’t quite seem like the future. It didn’t even seem to be this universe.

“I think…” Honeymaren tried, “I think when Bruni extinguished the flame from jumping out of the stove, he might have triggered alternate realities… instead of future visions…”

Elsa let that sink in. Honeymaren knew Arendellians, like the Northuldra, believed in multiple universes too, so she didn’t have to explain that to Elsa.

“So let me get this straight, you are suggesting that, in a different, alternate reality, we are still a couple?”

“I’m not suggesting it. The tea is.”

“No. No way.”

For some reason, that hurt.

“Why is that so hard to believe?” Honeymaren retorted, although she didn’t know why she cared whether Elsa could accept it.

“It’s just probabibility, Honeymaren! Math! Nothing personal. The odds that we would meet each other, let alone fall in love, in another universe, is incredibly low.”

That did sound like a very Elsa approach to their situation. Honeymaren decided to give Elsa the benefit of the doubt and forced herself to not let her feelings get hurt.

“Fine. Drink the tea again. See what another alternate universe has in store for us,” Honeymaren said.

Elsa nodded, and after one more nervous glance at Honeymaren, brought her cup to her lips once more.

* * *

> If Honeymaren thought the previous reality was odd, this one was _even odder_. Nothing looked familiar at all. They were in a strange room, more solid and rectangular than a tent and way smaller than any of the rooms in Arendelle castle.
> 
> The furniture were all shaped funny, straighter and simpler than the ornate designs of the couches and desks of the castle that Honeymaren knew. This version of Elsa and Honeymaren were in very wacky clothes too. Whatever fashion it was, Elsa and Honeymaren looked like they shared a culture. Elsa’s clothes didn’t look like it was made of ice either.
> 
> From the appliances in the room, Present-Honeymaren guessed the couple were in some sort of an open kitchen attached to a sitting room, for some reason. Strangely-clothed-Elsa and Strangely-clothed-Honeymaren looked like they were in a middle of a rather tense conversation.
> 
> “It’s just that, you are very dear to me, Maren,” Strangely-clothed-Elsa was saying.
> 
> That sounded weird to Present-Honeymaren. Present-Elsa _never_ called her ‘Maren’.
> 
> “And after everything you said about you accepting me as I am…” Strangely-clothed-Elsa continued, “it’s made me realise that I may need a dear friend right now. While I sort out… everything. I’ve never lived like this before, with my sexuality laid out in the open like that, right there for me to confront.”
> 
> “Of course,” the girl called ‘Maren’ said immediately, “hey, you need a friend, you’ve got one.”
> 
> “I guess we’re just friends in this universe, then,” Present-Honeymaren admitted, “your math is right.”
> 
> She didn’t know why that thought made her sad.
> 
> But then the scene shifted slightly. They were still in the same strange room, but the strangely-clothed couple looked different. Older, now.
> 
> They weren’t a duo either. There was a little boy sat inside what Present-Honeymaren vaguely recognised as a highchair. She had seen those in Arendelle. But this one was not made of wood. It was made of some glossy, lightweight, material.
> 
> “What did you say?” Older-looking-Elsa asked.
> 
> She was frozen in a state of shock as she looked at the little boy in the highchair.
> 
> “MAMA!” the boy squealed.
> 
> Older-looking-Honeymaren gasped.
> 
> “Did he just…?” Older-looking-Honeymaren asked, “Did he just call you…?”
> 
> “He did, he did!” Older-looking-Elsa replied, voice cracking as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.
> 
> “He did it!” Older-looking-Honeymaren exclaimed, pulling Older-looking-Elsa into her arms, “We did it!”
> 
> The couple manoeuvred the little boy out of the highchair, Older-looking-Honeymaren lifting him up into the air as he broke into peals of joyous laughter.
> 
> “My son! I am so proud of you!” Older-looking-Honeymaren brought the boy down to kiss him all over the face.
> 
> “THAT’S MY SON?” Present-Maren exclaimed, “but he doesn’t look like either of us!”

* * *

The scene shifted one more time and they were back again in the tent.

“Okay, I think those two scenes were from the same universe,” Elsa said, “So, I guess they got together in the end.”

“And had a son, apparently.”

“Only Honeymaren called him her son.”

“The boy called you ‘Mama’.”

“Called that Elsa ‘Mama’. Not me.”

Honeymaren rolled her eyes. Elsa really had an aversion to commitment. But Honeymaren couldn’t blame her. They were both in a very complicated fake relationship to avoid said commitment.

“It would appear, probability aside, that the universe really wants us together,” Honeymaren mused out loud.

“Maybe the tea’s wrong. There’s still so much about this magic that feels foreign to me. I need to understand it more before I can make any conclusions.”

“Right. Of course.”

Honeymaren stood up abruptly.

Elsa looked at Honeymaren with a strange expression on her face.

“What?” Honeymaren asked, feeling defensive.

She started to clear away their teacups and the stove. Elsa’s penetrating stare felt really intrusive when her emotions felt very jumbled at the present moment.

“Honeymaren… are you upset?”

“What? No!”

Honeymaren turned away from Elsa, trying to hide her face.

“What is it?”

Honeymaren sighed.

“You talk like us getting together is the most impossible thing in the world, even when all the visions we’ve seen tonight showed you otherwise.”

Honeymaren didn’t know where that honesty came from. But those visions gave her courage. And hope. She saw a glimpse of what life _could_ be like with Elsa. And she had to admit… she liked it.

Elsa was silent for a really long time. She didn’t say anything as she watched Honeymaren clean the cups and put everything back in their storage space.

Finally, when Honeymaren turned back to face her, Elsa whispered.

“It is in my nature to be sceptical of romance. At least romance for me. It is just how I am. My life… as you know… has never been anything as happy as any of the visions we saw just now. There is a reason… why this whole charade… why pretending to be in love with you… appealed so much to me.”

Elsa swallowed, gathering her courage to say more.

“I don’t know why you had to do this. Pretend to be with me, when you could have something real… with someone like In-… never mind.”

“But for me? These few weeks, this relationship we pretended to have, the intimacy we shared… it felt… it felt…,” Elsa faltered, before continuing, “It felt _good_ , to be with someone, be with _you_ , in that way.

“I got to hug someone, to hold someone’s hands, to k-kiss someone. I don’t… I don’t get that very often. You know why.”

“Elsa…”

“But it isn’t just the physical things. To know that everyone else thought we were a team, that it was us against the world… that was a _wonderful_ feeling…”

Elsa gave Honeymaren a shy smile, before adding.

“But also, the fact that it was all a lie… that felt _right_ too. I couldn’t mess this up. I couldn’t hurt you. You couldn’t hurt me. And that was safe. And it felt so much more achievable and manageable than a real relationship.

“So seeing those visions just now… thinking that those Elsas had _real_ feelings, _real_ love? I don’t know… I just… I’m scared.”

Honeymaren’s eyes never left Elsa as she confessed all those feelings, and she watched as Elsa shrunk smaller and smaller into herself as she admitted all that. It made her heart hurt.

Honeymaren wanted to cry.

“Oh, Elsa…”

She strode over to the Fifth Spirit, pulling her tightly into a hug. They had hugged many times in the past weeks because of their situation, but this was the first time the act carried any real emotion. Elsa felt it, and something in her form crumbled, and she sunk deep into Honeymaren’s embrace, hands wrapping round Honeymaren to pull her closer.

“Elsa,” Honeymaren said into her hair, aware that they were in a similar position to the one in the first vision of the future, “I don’t know if those visions are true. You are right in being sceptical of magic we don’t know. But… whether there is ever going to be romance in either of our lives, regardless of whatever that is in store for us in the future…”

Honeymaren took a deep breath, before speaking from the bottom of her heart.

“I love you. I will always love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a very experimental chapter for me to write! I hope it wasn’t too confusing!


	6. Prompt 6: Northuldran Proposal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The Northuldra in my story is a fictional society. The mindset I will be portraying is based on my interpretation of how an imaginary 18th-19th century society would think, and not on any real culture.

Elsa scrunched her eyes at the morning rays streaming into the tent, before registering what it meant and waking up with a start.

The sun was rising. And she was still in Honeymaren’s tent!

The tea they drank in the wee hours of the morning was sleep-inducing and they had both crashed on Honeymaren’s bed after the hallucinatory effect wore off. Elsa turned and saw that Honeymaren was still sound asleep, and she smiled at the sight.

She didn’t know Honeymaren was so adorable when she slept.

She wished she could stay, but she should probably head out before the rest of the camp woke up. Honeymaren had explained to her how bad the Northuldra would take it if they found out two unmarried partners had spent the night together.

Things were more liberal in Arendelle, and Elsa had watched, even actively endorsed, Kristoff and Anna living together in her castle for three years without batting an eyelid. But Elsa was with the Northuldra now and she had to respect their customs, even if she knew the sleepover they shared was completely innocent.

She crept past the rest of the tents in the settlement, noting that it was thankfully, still very quiet all around.

She was right at the edge of the clearing when she heard a throat clear behind her.

“If this is why you wanted the Northuldra to think you were away on a mission, Elsa, I am very disappointed in you.”

Elsa froze, panic surging. Slowly, she turned to address the voice.

Yelana emerged from behind one of the trees, looking murderous.

“Yelana, I know what it looks like.”

“It looks like you spent the night with Honeymaren.”

“We didn’t do anything, I promise you.”

“It doesn’t matter. What matters now is what people think.”

“No one has to know.”

“Too late for that.”

In that moment, Ryder and Ingrid emerged from adjacent trees too. Ryder looked troubled, and Ingrid’s expression was stony and unreadable.

“The whole village knows,” Ryder sighed.

Elsa gulped, “What?”

“You arrived home on the Nokk,” Yelana explained, “he caused a lot of havoc among the tents, stomping and trampling about. And then Honeymaren’s tent lit up. Clearly you two were not trying to be discreet, since you lit all the lamps inside. And as if that wasn’t attracting enough attention, moments later there was a crash and a sound of broken glass before Bruni shot out, burning a very incriminating trail leading back to Honeymaren’s doorstep. Not to mention, Gale extinguished several fires belonging to others nearby. Whatever it was the two of you were doing, the spirits were _very_ agitated.”

If Elsa weren’t so worried about her current predicament, she would have wanted to pursue this further. _Why did the spirits get disturbed by her probing the future?_ She filed it away for further contemplation. Now, she had to deal with a much more human problem.

She figured she should start with the truth. Lies had only dug them deeper and deeper into this hole.

“Yelana, last night Honeymaren was helping me with understanding the magical properties of water. I went to her because - ”

“You still don’t get it, do you?” Yelana interrupted, “I don’t care what you were really doing together last night. What matters now is Honeymaren’s honour!”

Yelana pinched the bridge of her nose.

“You don’t know how big of a disaster this is for Honeymaren,” Yelana sighed, “you are an outsider. You do not understand.”

It hurt to be called an outsider, but maybe she really was one. Judging by the dark expressions on Ryder’s and Ingrid’s faces, she had underestimated how deeply in trouble the two of them were.

“Personally,” Yelana continued, “I don’t care. If I were the only one in the know, I would have let you two be. And I wish the rest of the Northuldra would not care either. But they do. And now the both of you will have to live with this shame for the rest of your life. Maybe it means nothing to you. As the Fifth Spirit, you will still be revered. But do you know what this means for Honeymaren?”

Elsa was afraid to ask. So Yelana answered.

“Honeymaren is one of the most promising youths in our tribe. She is a warrior, a scholar, and has all the qualities of a leader. But now, she cannot be chief. The other elders will not forgive her for this.”

Elsa’s eyes widened.

“Also, people will talk. I can tell them not to. But you were once a queen, you know if people want to talk, they will talk. And unlike you, all her friends are here. Her only family is here. Her entire life is here.”

Elsa’s heart was pounding as the gravity of the situation was starting to sink in.

“And I don’t know what this ‘understanding’ is between the both of you,” Yelana added, before gesturing to Ingrid, “but from what I gather from Ingrid, it is not a permanent one. There is an endpoint to this romance, isn’t there?”

Yelana took Elsa’s silence as a ‘yes’.

“Then you should have remembered that before you slept with her,” Yelana finished firmly, “Now, after last night, _no one_ will marry Honeymaren.”

Elsa’s heart plummeted as a chill ran down her spine.

_Did she just ruin everything for her friend? Now that she thought back to the night before, Honeymaren had asked her to come back in the morning. Honeymaren had warned her it would look bad. But did she listen? Did she care? It was all about her stupid quest. How could she be so selfish!_

“Yelana, I am so sorry.”

“Don’t apologise to me, don’t even apologise to Honeymaren. You have done enough damage.”

“Yelana…” Ryder tried to mitigate, noticing the horror on Elsa’s face, “please don’t be so hard on Elsa. It looks like she didn’t know.”

Yelana raised a finger to silence him.

“This is your sister we are defending, Ryder.”

“I know, but we don’t have to be so hostile. We are, after all, proposing a formal union as the solution. We should all try to get along.”

Elsa gasped, “A formal union?!”

Ryder turned to look at Elsa. She had never seen him look so serious before. Gone was the goofy, playful, fun-loving façade. It was quite a formidable look. Honeymaren had the same fierce stare sometimes.

“Elsa,” Ryder began firmly, “do you love Honeymaren? Will you do anything to protect her?”

“I… what?”

Ryder frowned at her panicked non-answer, disappointed. The Northuldrans let the silence stretch as they stared at the Fifth Spirit. Elsa took the time to sort out her thoughts.

She knew where this was leading. They were going to marry Honeymaren to her. It was a complete disaster. A complete and utter disaster. But Elsa saw no way out. The Northuldra were very set in their ways. Then again, so were the Arendellians. And Elsa had spent enough time as a ruler to know that these traditions and mindsets do not change overnight. In one careless, thoughtless act, she had ruined her friend’s future forever.

Now she had been presented with a solution to fix the problem she had caused. She had to seize it. She had to do it for Honeymaren.

Because Ryder was right. She loved Honeymaren. Whether romantically or not, it didn’t matter. Honeymaren was very dear to her. And she would do anything to protect her. Everything Ryder said was correct.

“Yes,” Elsa finally replied, leaving no room in her voice for any doubt, “I do love Honeymaren.”

And going straight to the point, Elsa added, “and I will marry her.”

-

Ryder had gone to herd the reindeers required for the proposal later. Yelana stationed outside Honeymaren’s tent for when she woke up, so that she could be kept distracted while they prepared.

Ingrid had brought Elsa to pick flowers for the ceremony. It was winter, and there weren’t many around, so it was proving to be a long and arduous process. And also utterly depressing.

In her year or so with the Northuldra, Elsa had seen many Northuldran proposals. All were very festive events. A beautiful celebration of love. No getting down on one knee, no burning a fortune on expensive jewellery. Just the presence of loved ones, reindeers, flowers, and a question posed between equals. Elsa actually liked it more than the Arendellian way. But what they were doing now felt nothing like that.

Worse still, this meant they were getting _married_. They were going to be bonded together, for the rest of their lives. And they weren’t even in love! How could they let the lie get this far?

Elsa was fine with the arrangement as far as she was concerned. She had been living a lie for most of her life, what with hiding her powers and trying to be queen. While her parents were alive she had worried they would arrange a marriage for her. So to some extent she had always expected something like this to happen and she knew she could do this. But what about Honeymaren? It was so unfair to her!

Elsa couldn’t help but flashback to the visions she had last night. It seemed like some of those _were_ indeed the future. After all, the first vision of their wedding looked like it was already coming true.

Elsa shook her head. No. They were _happily in love_ in those visions. It’s nothing like what looked like was going to happen. Elsa was forcing Honeymaren into a marriage devoid of any romance because of a rash act in the middle of the night.

Perhaps those visions were a warning? Or a trick? Magic that distorted the future and changed the present to the detriment of the tea-drinker? All magic had a dark side, even Ahtohallan. Speaking of, Elsa sorely wished she could be in Ahtohallan right now, trying to untangle this mess.

“There’s a bush over there that’s flowering,” Ingrid pointed out, breaking Elsa out of her thoughts.

“Oh, yes, there is,” Elsa replied, heading over to the bush.

Elsa watched Ingrid from the corner of her eye as she picked the flowers. Ingrid had been mostly silent, and Elsa was desperate to clear the air between them.

“Ingrid, I’m sorry.”

A beat of silence passed, as Ingrid sullenly plucked a couple of flowers off the bush.

“What for?” she finally asked.

“For doing this to you…,” Elsa cleared her throat before correcting, “to your friend, I mean.”

Ingrid stilled, hand pausing in mid-air. She looked terrified, and Elsa figured she must have realised Elsa knew more than she was letting on.

“Honeymaren… told you something?”

“No,” Elsa hurriedly replied, “I’m just sorry to be doing this to her. And sorry to you, as her friend. And to Ryder, as her brother. You know, to everyone who loves her.”

“I love her as a friend,” Ingrid felt the need to repeat, making her hidden feelings more obvious to Elsa as a result.

“I know.”

Tipping her basket of flowers into Elsa’s to fill it up. Ingrid turned to face Elsa fully.

“I don’t know how you could have done this to Maren, Elsa,” she said, her tone sounding unnaturally hard, like she was being stern to hide her pain, “But what’s done is done. And it’s good that you are taking responsibility. But I also want to say, Maren loves you. She loves you like she has never loved anyone before. I can see it. So how ever this marriage started I want to see the both of you succeed. I really do.”

Ingrid gripped her empty basket tight, mustering up the courage to say more.

“This may sound like an empty threat to you, given you’re the Fifth Spirit and everything… but know that I will come for you if you ever hurt her.”

Elsa swallowed, staring at the feisty Northuldran girl, who was about a head shorter than her.

“I will never dream of hurting Honeymaren,” was all Elsa said.

“Good,” Ingrid nodded, heaving a sigh of relief as her fear of confronting the mighty Snow Queen left her, “good. Then you should start keeping your word now.”

“Huh?”

“What I mean is, stop whatever ‘understanding’ it is between the both of you and communicate. Authentically. Maren once said to me that what you want doesn’t matter to her and vice versa. I have no idea how a relationship can work like that. But the both of you need to change now that you’re getting married. Maren has alternative views on what she wants for her future, and I don’t know if she’s ever shared them with you. But if you intend to live in the forest for the rest of your life you need to tell her. If you intend to come and go from her life as and when you choose, you need to tell her too. With your relationship as it is sometimes it seems to outsiders like the both of you are co-existing as you go about on your separate paths. And that is not how you should be treating Honeymaren moving forward.”

Elsa was struck by how dedicated Ingrid was to Honeymaren. It was clear, at least to Elsa, who the right person was for Honeymaren.

“Honeymaren should be with you,” Elsa blurted out.

Something cracked in Ingrid’s expression at that, but she reined it in quickly.

“Don’t say something like that ever again,” she snapped, “Honeymaren is going to be _your_ wife. And you must make sure she doesn’t feel like someone else is the love of her life. You’re marrying _Honeymaren_ _Nattura_. Remember how lucky you are. You owe it to her to love and cherish her. You promised us that.”

Ingrid glared at her one last time, before stalking back to the main camp, leaving a stunned Elsa in her wake.

-

Elsa felt her entire being tense at the sound of approaching footsteps.

_This was it. There was no going back._

It occurred to her that between now and the wedding she should probably inform Anna. But she supposed Anna would be happy for them. Even if she learnt the truth, Anna would be proud Elsa took responsibility for her actions. As Elsa watched Ingrid standing by her side with the basket of flowers, she was aware that the only person who stood to lose something, or specifically someone, from this marriage was Honeymaren.

Speaking of Honeymaren -

“What do you mean the whole tribe knows? There’s nothing to know!” came Honeymaren’s panicked voice.

“You weren’t exactly being discreet,” Yelana admonished.

“Nothing happened! I swear!”

“The whole tribe thinks you’ve slept with someone you’re not married to. Worse still, they _saw_ it happen. It isn’t just going to be a rumour. You cannot deny this. How could you dishonour yourself like this? How could you rob yourself of your own future in the tribe?”

“No! Please! You must understand!”

Honeymaren sounded close to tears.

“It’s not me you have to convince,” Yelana replied, “but I am trying to find a solution for you. Trust me when I say some of the elders don’t think what is going to happen is enough. They think it is already too late. But it is a step in the right direction.”

With that, the two arrived at the clearing where Elsa was stationed, perched on the Nokk, instead of the customary reindeer. If Elsa was going to have to do this, she was going to do it her way. Despite the circumstances, she was going to make sure it was meaningful for Honeymaren.

Honeymaren stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes as wide in horror as she stared at the scene before her.

Silence. Except for the sound of crickets. And the pounding of Elsa’s heart.

Yelana stomped her staff, frustrated at Elsa’s inaction.

_Right. Now or never._

She nodded once at Ingrid, before extending her magic out to connect with the Nokk. Nokk rose onto his hind legs, raising Elsa up into the air majestically.

As Ingrid launched the flowers over Elsa, Elsa set off her own set of magical snow flurries, and as the petals and snowflakes rained down on her, she trotted on the Nokk over to Honeymaren.

“Honeymaren Nattura.”

She paused because she hated the sound of her voice. It sounded too regal, too commanding, too cold. She had not had to use a tone like that for so long and it sounded foreign to her. It reminded her of a time when doing her duty was the only way to show her love.

And now, once more, duty is the only way Elsa could love.

She offered an open hand down to Honeymaren, “Marry me.”

Another deathly silence.

Honeymaren would not look at her, eyes fixed on the proffered hand.

Snow was getting everywhere, as Elsa could not find it in her to pull the flurries back.

Honeymaren frowned.

The snowfall deepend. The wind howled. Elsa felt chilled as Honeymaren continued to say nothing.

“Are… you… INSANE?!” Honeymaren suddenly yelled.

The Nokk backed away, startled. Elsa leaned down to whisper in his ear and calmed him down before turning back to Honeymaren.

But Honeymaren was no longer facing her, she was rounding on Yelana.

“HOW COULD YOU MAKE HER DO THIS!” she continued yelling, enraged, “YELANA, WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ELSA?!”

Yelana stood her ground, the furious stare she had been directing at Elsa now trained on Honeymaren.

“Nattura. See reason,” Yelana’s order was dangerously calm, “We are all doing this for you. Elsa included.”

“You’ve made her think she needs to do this!

“Because she does. You both do.”

“Why? Because you don’t want people to talk? I know the truth and I DON’T CARE!”

“You are throwing away everything you’ve worked for, Honeymaren!” Yelana shot back, “If you don’t save whatever’s left of your dignity now, you will _never_ be chief.”

“Has anybody asked if I _wanted_ to be chief?” Honeymaren was crying now, “Has anybody cared if I wanted any of this?! All the responsibilities? The expectations! I don’t even want to be in a relationship right now!”

That revelation stunned the Northuldrans into silence.

“What?” Ingrid suddenly asked in a small voice.

“Maren, what are you talking about?” Ryder chimed in, concerned.

Honeymaren met Elsa’s eyes briefly before she looked away in guilt.

“THIS WAS ALL A LIE, OKAY?” Honeymaren shouted.

She took a deep breath, and admitted in a more even tone, “Elsa and I… we were never a couple.”

More stunned silence met the revelation.

Honeymaren wiped the tears from her face, closing her eyes so she didn’t have to face the stares.

“All my life I have tried my best to do right by the Northuldra. Fight hard, train hard, work hard. Defend our people from the Arendellians. Find the edge of the mist. Herd the reindeers. Direct our harvests. Lead when needed. Listen to Yelana. Be the good girl. But…”

Honeymaren sighed.

“But I can’t do this anymore. Not when I know there are greater things out there waiting for me. Not when I feel like I belong only when I am in the unknown. I can’t do it. I can’t settle down and get married now.

“So on my twenty-fifth when that pressure was almost unbearable, I told a lie. And from that moment on all Elsa did was help me when I needed her most. I… I never wanted things to escalate to this point.”

Honeymaren sniffed, “I am sorry. I am so sorry.”

“Oh, Honeymaren,” Yelana sighed, “why didn’t you just _talk_ to us?”

“Would you have listened?”

“Wait so you don’t love Elsa?” Ryder asked, sounding very betrayed, “you lied to me?”

“Well, technically, Ryder, I didn’t lie. You were the one who said I was with Elsa. I just didn’t correct you.”

Elsa’s stomach churned at that. _So Honeymaren didn’t even choose her?_

Honeymaren realised that was the wrong thing to say, and quickly added, “I didn’t mean for it to hurt anyone…”

In that moment there was a small sob. And everyone turned to Ingrid. While they never meant to hurt anyone, Elsa and Honeymaren inadvertently did.

Honeymaren turned to Ingrid.

“Ingrid…”

“The lengths you would go to…” Ingrid said to her in a shaky, watery voice, “just to keep me away… to keep any chance of love away…”

“No, that’s not it…”

Honeymaren stepped towards her, but Ingrid turned away and ran into the woods.

“Ingrid!” Ryder called after their friend, urging the reindeer he was riding on to chase after her.

But Honeymaren stayed put, waiting to face the music from Yelana. Yelana merely frowned and stared. Eventually she sighed.

“I am very disappointed in you Honeymaren, very disappointed.”

And Yelana turned away too, walking in the direction Ryder and Ingrid left, presumably to comfort the heartbroken girl. This left Honeymaren with Elsa alone in the clearing.

Elsa dismounted from the Nokk.

“Elsa, I am so, so, sorry they made you do this,” Honeymaren was not looking at Elsa as she said this, eyes on the path the Northuldrans had left on.

Honeymaren fidgeted on the spot, as though torn between sorting it out with Elsa and sorting it out with the Northuldra.

“You should go to Ingrid.”

“I’ll talk to her later,” Honeymaren’s eyes snapped to Elsa’s, her choice made, “I assume she pressured you into doing this too. And I just want you to know you didn’t have to - ”

“I think we’ve hurt Ingrid really badly,” Elsa cut her off.

“And I hurt you too! Elsa, I am so ashamed! I can’t believe they would force you into this just to please the elders or force us to abide by whatever archaic values they are still holding onto! And I can’t believe that you were going to go through with it for me! What exactly did they tell you? Elsa, I’m so sorry…”

“Honeymaren,” Elsa said firmly, “I am not the one hurt.”

But she was. Now that everything was falling apart and she was on the verge of losing Honeymaren, she could see how much the Northuldran woman meant to her.

_First her parents, then Anna, now Honeymaren. How was it that she only ever realised what she truly had when they were gone?_

There was _no_ future between them now. There couldn’t be, after all this; all the lies, all the mistakes, all the selfishness.

At least it was the middle of winter and the frost forming due to her faltering control was indistinguishable from the natural environment. She was not going to add to Honeymaren’s pain right now.

“Ingrid is the one hurt,” Elsa said.

“Elsa…”

“You want to go to her now, don’t you?”

“I do, of course I do. Because she’s my friend and I…”

“Then go.”

“What about you?”

“I’m fine.”

A branch behind them snapped as frost burst forth pierced through it. Honeymaren’s head whipped towards the sound.

 _Conceal._ Elsa willed herself. The frost retreated marginally.

“I’m fine,” Elsa insisted, “We _both_ hurt her. If you didn’t want to make amends with her, and with your brother, and with your tribe, you wouldn’t be the Honeymaren I know.”

_You wouldn’t be the Honeymaren I love._

Finally, Honeymaren nodded, already starting to walk towards the exit of the clearing.

“Thank you, Elsa. I’ll come back after, I promise. We should talk.”

“No.”

Honeymaren paused in her tracks, “What?”

“Do you remember condition one of our agreement?” Elsa asked.

It took Honeymaren a while to go through the three conditions in her mine.

_First, we call this off the moment you think you might have a chance at true love._

“I know Ingrid loves you, Honeymaren,” Elsa admitted, “I heard her talk to you that day in the forest before I left for the hot spring.”

Honeymaren’s eyes widened.

“With her, I believe you can find true love,” Elsa continued, “so I don’t think us talking is a good idea anymore.”

Elsa mounted the Nokk again.

“Elsa, wait!”

Elsa looked back at Honeymaren.

“When you were explaining why you chose to fake a relationship, I heard my story in yours. So I should have known better than to go along with this. Pretending to be something we’re not will only hurt the ones we love. And when that happens, the last thing you should do is run away from them. Trust me, I know.”

“Isn’t that what you’re doing now? Running away from me?”

Elsa closed her eyes, Honeymaren’s earlier words to Ryder ringing in her ears.

“I am not the one you love. I never was. I just happened to be a convenient choice for the lie.”

“Elsa, that’s not tr…”, Honeymaren faltered, because it _was_ the truth.

“I’m not mad, Honeymaren,” Elsa said.

She forced a smile, but her intention was genuine, “Really, I’m not. I just don’t want you to hide from true love anymore. If our fake relationship has thought us anything, it’s that the real deal would be so much better. And I want that for you.”

With that, Elsa nudged the Nokk and they rode away, getting as far away from Honeymaren as possible.


	7. Prompt 7: "Why do lullabies always have some terrible warning in them?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you notice the chapter count has changed?  
> This is the final chapter in this fic. As a result, it is long as I have a lot to wrap up.
> 
> But what about the final 2 prompts?  
> Hint: It will be in a sequel fic. Because smut. Wait, so thorny you're interpreting "Bless this happiness we've found" as a smut prompt? Yes.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the final chapter!

Elsa went to Arendelle the first week after she left. Honeymaren knew that because the king and queen of Arendelle arrived on a sled led by Sven, without their guards, in the middle of the night to collect her things from her ice cottage.

Honeymaren had been camping outside the cottage for days now, waiting for Elsa to return, and that was the only reason she caught them.

“Anna? Kristoff?” Honeymaren said, as she scrambled up from her place huddled outside Elsa’s door.

“Honeymaren! What are you doing here? You’ll freeze to death sleeping out in the open!”

“Where’s Elsa?”

“She didn’t come with us,” Anna replied, “we’re just here to get her things.”

“But she’s coming back right?”

Anna and Kristoff headed into the cottage without answering, Honeymaren followed.

Kristoff and Anna picked up a leather-bound trunk off the ground. That was about all of Elsa’s most valued possessions. Most other things she fashioned out of ice.

“Right?” Honeymaren asked again.

Anna let go of the trunk, causing Kristoff to stumble from the added weight.

“Look,” Anna said, before resting her hand on the trunk.

Kristoff emitted an “Oof!” as he felt Anna lean against the trunk but didn’t complain.

“Elsa told me what happened,” Anna continued to talk to Honeymaren, “the whole truth.”

She glared at Honeymaren, as though she wanted to say more, but thought better of it.

“Let’s go, Kristoff.”

Anna patted the trunk and walked off, forgetting to help him with it in her haste to leave.

Kristoff watched Honeymaren for a while, before he mumbled, “sorry, Honeymaren,” and followed his wife out.

“So Elsa’s going to stay in Arendelle now?!” Honeymaren ran after them, watching with dread as Anna and Kristoff loaded their sled, “but she _belongs_ here!”

They ignored her and climbed up the front seat.

“She belongs here with me!” Honeymaren pleaded, desperate now.

Anna clenched Kristoff’s arm at that, forcing him to tug on the reins, stalling Sven. The sled jerked to a halt. Anna stood. Slowly, she turned on the spot, descending from the sled again and advancing towards Honeymaren.

Her stance was regal, guarded, protective. Her frown was reminiscent of Elsa’s.

“You know, Honeymaren, I used to believe that.”

Anna sighed.

“I did think you belonged together. Why do you think I was so happy at the Winter Festival? But that was wrong of me to have put so much pressure and hope on the both of you… when clearly… clearly you were just _using_ Elsa.”

“Anna, that’s not - ”

“Elsa puts everyone’s needs before hers. When we first met you she barely knew any of you and she was already risking everything to free the Northuldra from the mist. So of all people I thought this would be obvious to you, and I guess it was, because you knew she would do anything to help you, and you took advantage of that.”

Honeymaren had no retort to that accusation.

“She was going to _marry_ you, Honeymaren, her wants and needs aside. That’s what my sister was willing to do to protect a friend. So please, I beg you, return the favour, protect your friend, protect my sister, and leave Elsa alone.”

Anna turned around and returned to her sled. As they were about to ride away, Anna decided to say one final thing to Honeymaren.

“Thinking back, I still don’t know when the both of you were lying and when the both of you were telling the truth… I guess that’s because for a moment there… everything felt so _real_. At least to me. I truly believed Elsa loved you at one point. I still think she does. Because till the end, she still only wants the best for you. She wants you to move on and find happiness. And despite everything, you’re still my friend too, Honeymaren, and I want that for you too. So if you care for Elsa at all, please do what she says. Move on.”

And then the monarch and her husband rode off into the dark.

-

Honeymaren did not listen to Anna and was loading Kit up with her bags to go to Arendelle and apologise to Elsa. Honeymaren knew that while Elsa loved Arendelle, it wasn’t her home. So Elsa shouldn’t keep herself away from the forest just for Honeymaren, and she wanted to tell Elsa that.

But in the time she took to pack, Elsa came home. The spirits clued Honeymaren in to Elsa’s return.

First, Bruni was suspiciously missing on some days. Honeymaren tried to follow any trail of burnt ground, hoping he would lead her to Elsa, but they mostly led to dead ends.

But she knew Elsa was here, because her winter food stores were depleting. So Honeymaren put out more for Elsa. She also left notes. But the food disappeared while the notes remained untouched. Honeymaren wondered if Elsa was creeping about the forest, too upset to interact with any of the Northuldra, and that hurt to think about.

Then Gale kept blowing her hat off her head. This was the second day in a row where she was chasing the wind spirit through the trees, trying to get her hat back.

Gale led her to the shore of the dark sea, dropping her hat on the bare rocks there.

“Oh,” Honeymaren realised.

Elsa was in Ahtohallan.

 _Classic Elsa._ Honeymaren thought, with a groan. Elsa must have realised Honeymaren had been stalking Bruni to try and find her. And now, she had gone to hide somewhere unreachable.

To her immense surprise, the Nokk trotted up right beside her, still in liquid form. Clearly he was not here on Elsa’s instructions, or he would have been frozen by her so he could interact with Honeymaren.

He trotted on, starting to walk onto the Dark Sea, which was completely frozen by now. He turned and waited when he realised Honeymaren did not follow.

“What?” Honeymaren asked him.

He pointed his head towards Ahtohallan.

“I can’t go. I’ll freeze to death.”

He was insistent. Trotting back and forth between the shore and the frozen water.

“Stop it, Nokk.”

Honeymaren turned away, heading back to camp. Inside, she was seething at Elsa. For days she had been freezing her butt off outside her ice cottage, going on a wild goose chase with Bruni, pouring her heart out in letters arranged obviously beside her food packets. Trying and failing and trying again to find Elsa. And now Elsa had made it completely impossible.

Gale blew her hat off her head again, carrying it out to sea.

“HEY!”

Honeymaren gave chase, slipping and falling on the frozen seawater.

“She doesn’t want to see me, alright? She’s made it clear. Ahtohallan is too cold for mere mortals like me.”

She threw her hat further away and watched it slide to a halt further into the frozen sea. _There_. _Gale can have the damn hat for all she cared._

Honeymaren laid down on the flat ice. She was exhausted. The cold hard ground outside Elsa’s door had not allowed her any proper sleep for days. Bruni and Gale had made her do more than her fair share of running. And now, the Nokk wanted to send her to her death? She didn’t care anymore. The spirits can circle around her like vultures, she was not going to follow them around like a fool anymore.

“Maren?” came a voice.

Honeymaren opened her eyes to see Ingrid looking down at her. She sat up in a hurry.

“Ingrid. What are you doing here?”

Bruni chirped, before hopping onto Honeymaren’s shoulder, something caught in his mouth. He dropped the item into her lap, before scampering away.

“Bruni took something from my workshop,” Ingrid explained, “I chased him here.”

Honeymaren picked up the item in her lap. It was the wooden flute she was planning to give to Elsa for her birthday. She had asked Ingrid for help because Ingrid was the best at crafts. Woodwork, weaving, painting, carving, all that sort of thing.

She couldn’t believe Ingrid was still willing to work on it after everything that had happened.

“Ingrid I didn’t know you were still planning on finishing this.”

“I said I would, didn’t I?” Ingrid settled down to sit beside Honeymaren, “Anyway, it’s done now. You can have it. Elsa can have it, I mean.”

Honeymaren studied the flute. The intricate and detailed carvings were exquisite. The symbol of the five spirits united into a snowflake was prominently carved into the side of the flute.

“Wow, Ingrid, this is beautiful.”

“You’re still paying me, right?” Ingrid teased, “Just because I said I liked you, it doesn’t mean I’m going to be doing these things for free. That took me _weeks_.”

Honeymaren laughed, “of course.”

Honeymaren liked that things were still so cordial between them. Honeymaren bumped her shoulder against Ingrid’s.

“Thank you, Ingrid. I really appreciate it.”

“So why are you giving her a flute?”

“You know the day we met?” Honeymaren began, “when she and her sister broke through the mist? She told me about the siren call she had been hearing. We sang a lullaby by the fireside. I taught her about the fifth spirit, and well, the rest is history.”

Honeymaren brought the flute to her lips. She played a familiar melody, familiar, because it had been one she heard Elsa sing countless times to summon the spirits.

Gale fluttered around them upon hearing the melody, the Nokk stomped his hooves and Bruni chirped, excited. The trees on the shore shook slightly as the Earth Giants rumbled the ground.

“Ever since that day. After she sang me that tune, I thought she might have use for something like this,” Honeymaren explained, “the flute reaches further distances than singing. And it wouldn’t be as tiring. Plus, if she’s on a mountain or something, it wouldn’t cause an avalanche.”

“That’s a really thoughtful gift, Maren,” Ingrid said, in awe.

“Thanks,” Honeymaren said sadly, wondering if Elsa would ever get to use it now.

“You’re still going to give it to her?”

“If she lets me.”

Ingrid sighed. After a long silence, Ingrid said, “You really fucked up, Maren.”

Honeymaren laughed again.

“Tell me about it.”

“No, don’t laugh, I mean it!”

Ingrid was serious now.

“Maren, you know her _so well_. This gift says it all. It is beautiful. Your relationship with her is beautiful. We could all see that, even before you started that whole lie.”

Ingrid looked away, unable to meet Honeymaren’s eyes.

“I have something to confess,” Ingrid continued, “when we were planning the proposal… I kinda confronted Elsa…”

Honeymaren sat up straighter, feeling slightly defensive. Even though how far the fake relationship went on for was mostly her and Elsa’s fault, she was still sore about the fact that the Northuldra had almost forced Elsa into a marriage.

“I told her that I would come for her if she did anything to hurt you.”

Honeymaren snorted.

“You? Attack the Fifth Spirit?”

“Hey!” Ingrid shoved her, “I was protecting you, okay! You don’t have to be a jerk about it.”

“I know, thank you,” Honeymaren was still chuckling.

“I also said all these things about how she was communicating with you all wrong, how she should keep her promise and love and cherish you. I basically gave her a pretty bad telling off. I pulled a Yelana.”

“Shit. Ingrid, why?”

“You know why. But… but that’s not the point. My point is… she just took it. She didn’t fight back. She didn’t tell me how I didn’t understand the thing she shared with you. She didn’t tell me to mind my own business, and she didn’t expose your lie. She just agreed to all of it. For you.”

Honeymaren was rendered silent by this revelation. She couldn’t even find the will to confront Ingrid about telling Elsa off, she was just too stunned.

To Honeymaren’s surprise. Ingrid laughed.

“It’s ironic isn’t it?” Ingrid said, “In the whole time the two of you were pretending to be in a relationship, the only people who _didn’t_ realise how _real_ the feelings were, were the both of you.”

“Hu-huh?”

“Look at you, Maren. With your flute and chasing the spirits for weeks on end trying to find Elsa. And Elsa with her agreeing to your stupid relationship lie and agreeing to marry you to protect you and now hiding away so you can move on. Don’t you think these are the actions of two people in love?”

“We,” Ingrid added, slightly shy, “You and I. We are never like that with each other.”

Ingrid let her words sink in. Honeymaren’s heart beat louder and faster as she realised that Ingrid was right.

“I have to go to her. This game of hide and seek has gone on long enough.”

“Finally!” Ingrid said.

“Nokk!” Honeymaren called.

On cue, the water spirit, who had been casually grazing on the frozen sea ahead of them, trotted back to Honeymaren. Honeymaren tentatively reached out to touch his mane and gasped when her hand didn’t go right through him, like it did that time when he was trying to save her in the river.

She let out a surprise laugh as she mounted the horse.

“I’ll see you back in camp, okay?” Honeymaren called to Ingrid, before turning Nokk towards Ahtohallan by his mane.

“Wait!” Ingrid called, “You’re forgetting Gale and Bruni!”

“What?”

Ingrid sighed, shaking her head, even as she started laughing.

“I knew Bruni led me to you for a reason. Maren, you’re an idiot.”

“What am I missing here?”

“Bring Bruni and Gale with you. Without them, you’ll freeze to death. Obviously that’s why the three spirits have been pestering you together. Nokk isn’t going to be able to bring you to Ahtohallan himself.”

At that Bruni hopped into the air, turning a bright purple as his back was set aflame. Gale scooped him up into a whirlwind and surrounded Honeymaren, protecting her with a layer of warmth. It felt wonderful after all that months of winter.

“Ingrid, you freaking genius.”

“Common sense, Maren. I can’t believe they had to chase you around for weeks.”

“Well, I’m glad Bruni finally went to get you.”

They laughed before Ingrid picked up the flute Honeymaren had left on the ground in her haste to climb the Nokk.

“Okay,” Ingrid handed the flute to Honeymaren, “go get your girl.”

-

Ahtohallan was scary.

For all Elsa had been going on and on about how magical and majestic the place was, all Honeymaren could think about was that Ahtohallan was the perfect death trap.

It was way colder than anywhere Honeymaren had ever been, and even with the protection of the spirits her teeth were still chattering.

“Bruni, Gale, stay close, okay? Please.”

The Nokk led her through a tunnel and Honeymaren had the sense that were descending deeper and deeper into the Earth.

Still no sign of Elsa.

They reached a dome-like structure, and once inside, the Nokk disintegrated, lowering Honeymaren to her feet. She looked at the glossy ice forming the ceiling. This must be where Elsa usually came to study memory.

Spinning around, she saw an arch leading into the darkness, carved through the farthest wall of the asymmetrical dome.

As she proceeded to walk towards it, a vision began to play above her head.

-

> Elsa and Honeymaren were sat by the fireplace, the Northuldra sitting around them. Elsa had her hand in Honeymaren’s.
> 
> “And so I said,” the Honeymaren on the ceiling was saying, “since you think I’m beautiful, how about a date? And that’s how we got together.”
> 
> Elsa was biting her lip hard, and the knuckles of the hand that was in Honeymaren’s were white from how hard she was clasping onto Honeymaren’s hand.
> 
> “Mmm-hmm,” was all that Elsa was willing to say.
> 
> “Maren,” a girl giggled, “that was _smooth_.”

-

Honeymaren frowned. _Spirits._ She was so obnoxious that night.

A scene further down the dome was playing on the celing. Honeymaren advanced to get a closer look.

-

> “Flowers for you, my love,” Kristoff said, offering the bouquet to Anna.
> 
> “Kristoff! That’s _beautiful!”_ Anna gushed.
> 
> As she took the bouquet her eyes were distracted by something in Elsa’s hand. She gasped.
> 
> “ELSA! You got flowers for Honeymaren too?” Anna squealed, “that’s SO romantic.”
> 
> “Hey, I did it first,” Kristoff muttered under his breath.
> 
> As Elsa handed Honeymaren the bouquet, she whispered deliciously against Honeymaren, “see, Anna agrees. Between the both of us, I’m the romantic one. Don’t get it twisted.”

-

As the scene shifted to later that night where they were skating, Honeymaren chuckled. It was a fun day at the Winter Festival. One of her fondest memories.

Further down was a scene back in the forest. She ran deeper into Ahtohallan to see what it wanted to show her.

-

> Elsa and Honeymaren were with the Northuldra again, sharing dinner. They were cuddling and laughing at each other’s jokes.

-

 _That’s different,_ Honeymaren thought. She distinctively remembered that night to be _very_ awkward. The Northuldra had insisted they have dinner together, since they were a couple and that was what couples did. The whole night, people kept watching their interaction, and they had to pretend to be in love. Honeymaren remembered being very stressed out when she had to put her arm around Elsa.

But maybe this was what the Northuldra saw? Was this why Ingrid said everybody could see they were in love?

Honeymaren had to find out more. She continued towards the next vision.

-

> Honeymaren and Elsa were hugging, Yelana and Ingrid watching from a distance. When they broke apart, Honeymaren pulled Elsa in again, kissing her on the lips passionately.
> 
> “I’ll miss you,” Honeymaren sighed against Elsa.

-

 _That was wrong_.

They only kissed that day because Yelana and Ingrid was watching.

But this vision of a happily-in-love Elsa and Honeymaren was impossible to look away from.

Honeymaren ventured further.

-

> “I’ll miss you too,” Elsa said, “I’ll come home soon. I love you.”

-

_I love you._

Honeymaren was pulled in by the sound of that. She couldn’t turn away. She had to see more. Deeper into Ahtohallan she went.

The next vision didn’t play on the ceiling. An Elsa, built entirely out of snow, was riding a snow-Nokk towards her. She was beaming. Honeymaren had never seen her look so happy.

“Honeymaren Nattura of the Northuldra, the love of my life, will you marry me?”

Snow-Elsa extended a hand out to her.

Honeymaren’s heart was pounding.

_Elsa was proposing! Elsa wanted to marry her! They were in love!_

She reached out to take her hand.

A song broke out behind her, and the familiarity of it forced Honeymaren to spin around.

-

> “Dive down deep into her sound…” Elsa sang, petting a baby reindeer.
> 
> “… but not too far or you’ll be drowned,” Honeymaren joined in.
> 
> “Why do lullabies always have to have some terrible warning in them?” Honeymaren asked.
> 
> Elsa chuckled.
> 
> “I wonder that all the time.”

-

Honeymaren was jolted back to reality. That vision was real. She was sure. More real than the others, more real than anything she had seen so far in Ahtohallan.

“Honeymaren?”

She spun around again to face the figure sitting atop the Nokk.

Snow-Elsa still had a hand out to her.

“Well? What is it?” she asked, as she urged the Nokk through the arch, towards the darkness, “will you marry me?”

The alluring pull was back. Honeymaren wanted to follow Snow-Elsa. She walked towards the arch.

-

> “Dive down deep into her sound…” fireside-Elsa sang behind them again.

-

Honeymaren jolted back to reality at the sound of her voice. Before she could be pulled by the magic again, she said firmly to Snow-Elsa.

“No. I can’t marry you. Elsa, this isn’t real. As alluring as it is, this relationship, it was all a lie.”

Snow-Elsa looked heartbroken at that. Honeymaren wanted to run to her, hug her, comfort her.

“But, Honeymaren, I’m in love with you.”

 _I’m in love with you too_ , she almost said.

“No, you’re not,” she said instead, “we’re not in love. But if we face the truth now, stop the lies and start all over, one day, I think we can be.”

The ground beneath her shook. The arch cracked and began to crumble. Snow-Nokk jumped in fright, throwing Snow-Elsa off his back.

“HONEYMAREN!” Snow-Elsa called before she fell down into the abyss.

“ELSA!”

Honeymaren surged forwards, about to run through the crumbling arch after Snow-Elsa. A hand caught her.

“Honeymaren!”

Elsa, the real Elsa, was clutching onto her arm, preventing her from falling through the arch.

Honeymaren, fully broken out of the spell, turned to look down the arch, swallowing as she saw the darkness of the never-ending abyss below. She had been standing right at the edge.

Elsa pulled Honeymaren safely towards the centre of the dome.

“Honeymaren!” Elsa gasped, “What the hell are you doing here? How did you make it here?”

Bruni scurried out from his hiding spot in Honeymaren’s collar and hopped into Elsa’s hand.

“Bruni and Gale, of course.”

“And Nokk,” Honeymaren added.

Elsa stared at Honeymaren, thinking hard.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to talk to you, Elsa. I’ve been looking for you for _weeks_.”

Elsa turned away from Honeymaren. Honeymaren hurriedly followed, partly because she wanted to, partly because she needed to, since her tiny source of heat was in Elsa’s palm.

“Elsa, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. For dragging you into this lie. For hurting you so badly in the process.”

Elsa stopped in her tracks.

“Most importantly,” Honeymaren added, running around Elsa so she could face her properly, “for not being honest with you.”

“I love you, Elsa,” Honeymaren said.

To Honeymaren’s surpise, Elsa replied, “I know.”

“I don’t mean as a friend.” Honeymaren added, “or even a sister.”

Elsa’s eyes widened, finally, “you mean…”

“Yes. I think, I think I could be in love with you, actually,” Honeymaren admitted.

Elsa just continued to stare at her.

“ _Could_ be,” Honeymaren repeated with emphasis, before continuing, “at least I know I like you enough to pursue this.”

“Honeymaren…”

“Elsa, look. I know there has been too many lies between us. But I know now that my feelings for you are real. You know how you said Ahtohallan had a way of punishing us for our mistakes? I… I think that was it just now. When it tried to lead me down the abyss with distorted memories of our fake relationship, I think it was trying to punish me. But what it had shown me, instead, was how _real_ what we have is.

“Elsa, the one _real_ memory that kept coming back to me? That fireside chat? That was the thing that pulled me back. Stopped me from going too far. And it was so powerful because I know the feelings there are real. I know if we did this properly, if we stopped being afraid of what might come out of trying, I think we really stand a chance.”

Honeymaren reached out to hold Elsa’s hand in hers.

“You said that if our fake relationship has thought us anything, it’s that the real deal would be so much better. I think so too. I want the real deal, Elsa. The real deal with _you._ So what do you say? Do you think you want to give us a shot? Properly, this time?”

Elsa looked at their joined hands. Finally, she met Honeymaren’s eyes.

“What about Ingrid?”

Honeymaren smiled. She remembered what Anna said about Elsa putting everyone’s needs before hers.

“Ingrid gives her blessing,” Honeymaren said.

She reached into her pocket, pulling out the flute.

“Do you remember when I said playing a flute might be more efficient than singing every time you want to call the spirits?”

“Honeymaren… This is beautiful.”

“Ingrid made it. Even though she knew it was for you. Anyway, she… she’s kinda the one who told me to come here and get you.”

“She did?”

“Uh-huh. Trust me, she’s okay,” Honeymaren decided to add a joke, “but if she’s not, knowing Ingrid, she’s just going to charge either double or triple our agreed-upon price to take her revenge on me. So you better appreciate the gift, Elsa.”

Elsa laughed.

“I have to thank her.”

“Happy Birthday, Elsa.”

They smiled at each other, Honeymaren still waiting for an answer from Elsa.

“So… no more lies?” Elsa asked, “No more false emotions or hiding our true feelings?”

“No more.”

Elsa leaned forward, resting her forehead on Honeymaren’s.

Finally, she smiled.

“Fine. Let’s do this,” Elsa whispered, “But _I_ am asking _you_ out for our first date.”

“Too late. I think this already counts as me asking you out. _For real this time_.”

**\- The End. -**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long Author's Note ahead!
> 
> 1) Do you remember when Elsa was diving too deep into Ahtohallan, memory-Iduna was singing the lullaby as a warning to her but Elsa ignored it? That was what I was trying to do here, with memory-Elsa singing the lullaby to warn Honeymaren. I hoped I did it correctly.
> 
> 2) I hope you caught that the memory that gave Honeymaren "real" feels is the ONE CANON SCENE in this fic. I chose it to be the one to save Honeymaren because (a) i am limited by the prompt and (b) it feels real because it is CANON. HAHAHA. Can't believe Disney gave us such a canon romantic scene between elsa and honeymaren.
> 
> 3) Maybe nobody cares, but Ingrid lives happily ever after. I have a personal headcanon for what happens to her, I'm not ready to share it yet, but know that she is happy and well. I wanted to make sure Elsamaren's relationship starts with her blessing. Anna will come round, obviously. I don't need to write it for you to know she will. What I wanted to write instead, was Anna defending Elsa when Honeymaren has hurt her, so I wrote that instead.
> 
> Finally, thanks so, so, much to everyone who took the time to read this fic! I had so much fun writing it, and it was a real joy to read all the kind words you guys took the time to send in.
> 
> A special shout out to the organisers and other participants of Elsamaren Summer 2020! My first time participating in one of these fanfiction events. I have really enjoyed reading all the submissions, and am still making my way through them! Looking forward to the days/weeks ahead of reading!
> 
> Cheers!  
> Blackthorn
> 
> P.S. See you for the smutty sequel!  
> P.P.S. Sequel is not written yet. May or may not be late!


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